UW Medicine to temporarily furlough thousands, close psychiatric unit

University of Washington Medicine is temporarily furloughing roughly 5,500 workers. The institution is citing financial losses of roughly $500 million due to the pandemic.

The move will lead to the temporary closure of a small psychiatric unit at the UW Medicine Montlake campus.

Dr. Kisha Clune is a resident psychiatry physician and the lead negotiator for the resident union at UW.

She’s not facing a furlough, but she said the closure of the unit will impact physicians like her who go there to train as well as patients, especially at a time when people are feeling the mental health impacts of the pandemic.

“People in the community are struggling for myriad reasons, but it’s a time of crisis really for all people, and it’s not a good time to be shutting down our crisis mental care unit,” Clune said.

Clune said Washington state already has a large shortage of in-patient psychiatric beds.

“Just taking 10 beds out of circulation impacts the whole community,” she said.

Klune and another UW resident both said they’re concerned the unit may not reopen.

UW Medicine previously considered closing the unit in 2018.

A UW Medicine spokesperson said via email the unit will be closed until June 30 as they evaluate next steps.

In the meantime, voluntary inpatient psychiatric needs will be taken care of at the UW Medicine Northwest campus.

“UWMC-Northwest has a large adult inpatient psychiatric unit that prioritizes care for the geriatrics population and can also accommodate the care of adult voluntary psychiatric patients. The transition of voluntary psychiatric care to the NW campus began May 25,” said UW Medicine spokesperson Susan Gregg.

Like many hospitals, UW Medicine says it took a financial hit due to the cancellation or postponement of elective procedures during the pandemic and increased costs associated with treating Covid-19 patients, including diagnostic testing and high use of protective equipment.

UW Medicine said in a news release that furloughs across the institution will last from one to eight weeks, with workers keeping their benefits during that time.

“This has been a very difficult, but necessary, decision to address the financial challenges facing UW Medicine and all healthcare organizations responding to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lisa Brandenburg, president of UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics, in the news release.

Brandenburg also said they’ve taken deliberate steps to ensure patient care is not impacted and to ensure the institution is prepared to respond to future surges in Covid-19 cases.

Nearly 30 staff, including nurses, patient care technicians and others will be temporarily furloughed from the Montlake unit.