Kaiser Hawaiʻi psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, medical social workers, psychiatric nurses and chemical dependency began a 3 day strike at locations statewide in an effort to force the HMO to both raise standards and better address the growing demand for mental health services.

Kaiser officials have confirmed to state regulators that the HMO is understaffing its mental health services, forcing patients to endure long waits for care, despite an uptick in demand for services, largely due to anxiety and depression caused by isolation and economic pressures linked to the COVID-19 pandemic,

In a press release Tami Swonigan, a psychologist at Kaiser Permanente’s Waipio Medical Office said, “We cannot keep apologizing daily to patients in need and members seeking services, for Kaiser’s lack of available care.  Kaiser refuses to take any meaningful steps and the crisis just keeps getting worse.”

In November 2021, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which represents Kaiser mental health clinicians in Hawaiʻi and California, filed a 57-page complaint with the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The complaint, utilizing Kaiser’s own records, found that:

• Due to understaffed clinics, Kaiser members are frequently waiting months for their first therapy session to treat conditions such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, panic attacks and eating disorders — wait times that vastly exceed clinical practice guidelines.

• Only 28 percent of Kaiser’s out-of-network mental health therapists are accepting new Kaiser members for care. Kaiser contracts with these therapists to augment the care provided by its directly employed clinicians.

• Kaiser’s understaffed statewide mental health call center routinely forces patients to wait on hold for up to an hour before they can speak to a clinician, and stunningly up to four weeks for a return call.

• Kaiser appears to be violating state laws requiring that it conduct performance reviews of its behavioral health services and that it provide members with out-of-network care when it doesn’t have a healthcare provider available.

During the three day strike, which continues through Friday, May 20, appointments have been canceled or rescheduled at Kaiser facilities on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaiʻi Island.

Despite its strong financial footing, Kaiser has rejected proposals by clinicians to increase staffing and improve access to care. The HMO’s most recent offer in contract negotiations would result in a wage freeze for most clinicians with cuts to health and retirement benefits.

The next bargaining session between Kaiser and the National Union of Healthcare Workers is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 31.