As staffing shortages fuel walkouts across California and Hawaii, patients face delays, reduced services, and uncertainty at key hospitals and clinics.
The ongoing Kaiser Permanente nurses’ strike across California and Hawaii is reshaping access to care in Los Angeles, where thousands of Latino families rely on Kaiser hospitals and clinics for everything from primary care to chronic disease management.
The strike affects multiple Kaiser facilities across Southern California, including major hospitals and dozens of outpatient clinics. While emergency services remain open, nurses say chronic understaffing has already pushed the system to a breaking point—one now visible to patients through longer waits and postponed care.
“Unsafe staffing doesn’t start with the strike,” one Kaiser nurse told KQED. “It starts when patients wait hours longer than they should, or when follow-up care gets delayed because there aren’t enough nurses.”
Facilities and services impacted
Kaiser Permanente has acknowledged service disruptions at several locations, including:
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Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center
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Kaiser Baldwin Park Medical Center
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Kaiser Downey Medical Center
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Kaiser Panorama City Medical Center
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Numerous specialty and primary care clinics operating at reduced capacity
Patients report rescheduled appointments, delayed non-urgent procedures, and difficulty reaching care teams—challenges that disproportionately affect communities managing diabetes, heart disease, prenatal care, and elder care. According to the California Health Care Foundation, delayed routine care often leads to more serious and costly health outcomes, particularly in communities already facing access barriers.
How to find out if your care is affected
If you or a family member receive care through Kaiser:
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Check your Kaiser patient portal for appointment updates or cancellations
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Call your local clinic directly to confirm hours and services
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Monitor official Kaiser Permanente updates, which list impacted facilities and temporary service changes
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Ask about telehealth options, which may still be available for some visits
Practical tips for patients right now
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Refill prescriptions early to avoid interruptions
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Reschedule non-urgent visits proactively rather than waiting for cancellations
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Keep copies of medical records and prescriptions, especially if seeking temporary care elsewhere
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Use urgent care appropriately, reserving emergency rooms for true emergencies
Kaiser Permanente says it is working to maintain patient care during the strike, while nurses argue that the disruptions highlight deeper, unresolved staffing issues. As Axios and regional outlets have reported, negotiations hinge on whether Kaiser commits to staffing levels nurses say are necessary for safe care.
For Latino families across Los Angeles, the strike is more than a labor dispute—it’s a reminder that healthcare access depends on stable working conditions. When nurses say the system is overstretched, patients are often the first to feel it.
