Federal labor charge filed against Peak Vista Community Health Centers; multiple providers fired

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, (KRDO) -- Profit over patients.

That is the allegation being levied against leadership at Peak Vista Community Health Centers.

Federal labor charges with the National Labor Relations Board have been filed against Peak Vista, claiming the healthcare institution "has engaged in and is engaging in unfair labor practices within... the National Labor Relations Act."

The non-profit Peak Vista Community Health Centers boasts 28 health centers in the Pikes Peak Region to the eastern plains, and serves 90,000 insured, under-insured, and uninsured patients, according to tax filings.

Medical providers, with the assistance of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, or UAPD, additionally authored a scathing letter on August 13, 2024, to Peak Vista's Board of Directors, stating that providers were forced to increase patient load from 22 to 28 per day, reducing time with each patient to 15 minutes -- or else support staff would be terminated, in order to address the organization's financial struggles. 

Leadership, according to the UAPD letter, demanded that "providers either work on their days off or extend their remaining workdays for the rest of the year -- both without pay."

Those who voiced concerns were either terminated or forced to resign.

According to UAPD, at least ten such providers have been either fired, or resigned, including three vice presidents of medical services at Peak Vista -- all without cause, prior write-up, or conversation with human resources.

Because of that, providers have expressed a desire to form a labor union, which could take months to ratify. 

"We estimate about 10,000 patients have lost their primary care provider in the recent firings," said Andrew Guttman, who is a representative with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists.  "If it weren't for Peak Vista, they [the patients] would have nowhere else to go."

Guttman says the national average for patients seen per day in similar settings is 20.

"The demands for ever-increasing numbers was unsustainable," said Guttman.  "These firings look very much like retaliation."

As for Peak Vista's financials, the most recent available tax forms in 2022 show a balance of $82,590,637.

KRDO13 received this statement from Peak Vista Community Health Centers President and CEO, Dr. Emily Ptaszek:

“Peak Vista Community Health Centers is in receipt of an unfair labor practice filing from the National Labor Relations Board. We are currently investigating the filing. We take these accusations very seriously and are confident they are unfounded. At Peak Vista, we strive for organizational excellence and adhere to the shared values of respect, stewardship, and teamwork among nearly 800 team members serving 74,000 patients, many of whom have barriers to quality health care. We are committed to a healthy workplace where performance goals and timely health care service delivery is a top priority.”

-- Dr. Emily Ptaszek