Providers say leadership decisions have reduced patient access, disrupted continuity of care, and put the health of the local community at risk
Kalispell, Mont. — Primary care providers at Logan Health have submitted a vote of no confidence in Logan Health’s administrative leadership, citing a pattern of decisions that have compromised patient care, reduced access to care, and contributed to the loss of providers across the healthcare system.
The vote of no confidence reflects growing concern among frontline clinicians that decisions made without meaningful input from clinicians are making it increasingly difficult to deliver the consistent, high-quality care that patients throughout the Flathead Valley depend on. Providers say that the resulting erosion of trust over the years is no longer confined to the workplace, it is affecting patients through disrupted continuity of care, longer wait times, and difficulty accessing the providers they know and trust.
One example referenced by providers is the expansion of centralized scheduling. Despite repeated concerns from providers that the system was disrupting continuity of care and creating inefficiencies, providers say that leadership continued to expand the practice. Clinicians report that these changes have interfered with their ability to coordinate care effectively and have contributed to adverse patient outcomes.
Providers also point to the departure of primary care and specialty clinicians as a growing threat to healthcare access across the region. Each provider who leaves Logan Health can mean patients must establish patient care with a new provider, experience longer wait times, or travel further to receive specialized services. The staff turnover has placed additional strain on the providers who remain, making it more difficult to meet the needs of the community.
Concerns about communication and transparency have further undermined providers’ confidence in leadership. Clinicians cite inconsistent and misleading communication regarding compensation, retention, and other employment matters. Leadership’s practices have made it difficult for clinicians to trust that decisions affecting their practices and their patients are being made with the community’s best interests in mind.
The vote of no confidence states:
“This decision is not made lightly. It reflects an ongoing pattern of leadership decisions, governance failures, and organizational practices that have eroded trust, harmed morale, negatively impacted patient care, and contributed to significant provider turnover. We no longer have confidence that Logan Health’s governing leadership is acting in the best interests of providers, staff, or the communities we serve… Meaningful changes in leadership practices are necessary to restore transparency, accountability, collaboration, provider engagement, and high-quality patient care.”
Providers emphasize they remain fully committed to their patients and to the community’s health as they call for accountability at the leadership level. They are hopeful that this vote will prompt Logan Health leadership to engage in meaningful discussions with the clinicians who provide care every day and address the concerns that are affecting both providers and the patients they serve.
For the providers who signed the petition, the issue is ultimately about ensuring that decisions affecting patient care are informed by the clinicians closest to those patients—and that the health of the community remains at the center of Logan Health’s priorities.
About the Union of American Physicians and Dentists
Established in 1972, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) is the largest bicoastal union for licensed doctors and advanced practice clinicians in the nation—representing more than 7,000 private and public-sector healthcare practitioners. Affiliated with AFSCME and the AFL-CIO, UAPD brings the strength of the labor movement to the aid of providers in the interest of better medicine for all. Learn more at www.uapd.com.