Prime Healthcare and SEIU-UHW reach agreement on a new three-year contract at three Southern California hospitals

(Ontario, CA) – Prime Healthcare is pleased to announce that it has reached a three-year labor agreement with SEIU-UHW for valued employees in three of its award-winning Southern California hospitals: Centinela Hospital Medical Center, Garden Grove Hospital Medical Center and Encino Hospital.

The agreement, which includes significant increases to pay scales, was ratified by the members represented by SEIU-UHW. Staff represented by SEIU-UHW include certified nursing assistants, respiratory technicians, radiology therapists, and admitting representatives.

“We are pleased to once again reach an agreement that honors the critical and life-saving work of our employees,” said Richard Martwick, assistant general counsel, noting that the new contract replaces a previous three-year agreement reached with SEIU-UHW in 2017. “This agreement reflects our shared mission of providing quality community healthcare, which is more important than ever during this pandemic, and we want to acknowledge and thank all the team members who worked together to reach a fair and equitable agreement.”

The new contract will help support and honor staff as they continue to provide award-winning care. Centinela Hospital, Garden Grove Hospital and Encino Hospital have received national quality recognition over the years. The hospitals are all recipients of multiple clinical quality awards, including Healthgrades patient safety excellence awards for the last several years.

Since acquiring Centinela Hospital in 2007, Prime Healthcare has invested over $109 million in capital equipment and renovation, including an emergency room expansion. Centinela received the 2015-2016 “Quality Improvement Innovation Award” from Healthgrades, including numerous "Patient Safety Excellence" and "Five-Star" awards; Truven/IBM Watson Health "100 Top Hospital" recognition five years in a row (2012-2016); and The Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade 'A' four consecutive periods (2018-2020).

Encino Hospital has consistently ranked as a “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures” by The Joint Commission and established the first geriatric Emergency Room in Southern California to accommodate the special needs of seniors. Under Prime’s ownership, Encino Hospital has received many quality awards including numerous Healthgrades "Patient Safety Excellence" and "Five-Star" awards.

Garden Grove Hospital has garnered quality recognition, including “100 Top Hospital” recognition four years in a row (2012-2015) and in 2019 from Truven Health Analytics, now IBM Watson Health, and The Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade 'A' for two periods (2019-2020).