San Diego, Calif. – Nearly 1,000 patients at Chula Vista Family Health Center have been left without a primary care provider after Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) terminated Dr. Raquel Cornejo Pina while she was on protected medical leave. Her abrupt termination raises serious ethical concerns about patient access, continuity of care, and the working conditions within FHCSD that discourages providers from speaking out.
“I dedicated seven years to this organization. I started my medical training here and built my career here to serve this community. I believe I was terminated because I refused to stay quiet,” said Dr. Cornejo Pina. “I spoke out about discrimination and inequities in the workplace. And I supported efforts to organize—to give physicians and healthcare workers a voice. Because no one in healthcare should have to choose between their conscience and their career.”
The Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) is questioning the circumstances of Dr. Cornejo Pina’s termination. She had been an outspoken advocate for her patients and colleagues, raising concerns about unsafe staffing, excessive patient loads, and the strain these working conditions place on providers—risking both provider wellbeing and patient safety. Providers report that these concerns have too often been met with retaliation or intimidation from administrative leadership rather than solutions.
“Abruptly firing a physician while she is on medical leave disrupts patient care. When Dr. Cornejo Pina spoke up about the unsafe working conditions, she did so on behalf of her patients,” said Dr. Stuart Bussey, UAPD president. “Instead of addressing her concerns, FHCSD leadership chose to terminate her for raising legitimate issues. Providers need to be able to advocate for their patients without fear of retaliation. A culture of fear and intimidation ultimately harms the patients who depend on them.”
In partnership with the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, UAPD will hold a press conference calling for accountability and systemic change at FHCSD.
Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
Time: 10 AM
Location: 251 Landis Avenue (on the corner of Landis Avenue and Davidson Street), Chula Vista, CA 91910
Speakers will include previously employed FHCSD providers, patients affected by the loss of care, Councilmember Carolina Chavez of District 1, Councilmember Jose Preciado of District 2, Councilmember Michael Inzunza of District 3, Councilmember Cesar Fernandez of District 4, and labor leaders.
“Family Health Centers of San Diego claims to value ‘honesty and integrity’ and ‘dedication to serving others.’ Yet they have now fired a fifth healthcare worker—Dr. Raquel Cornejo Pina—for the simple act of organizing with her colleagues to improve patient care. This is leadership failing to live up to its own proclaimed values. This is a pattern of retaliation. We stand with Dr. Cornejo Pina and every worker exercising their fundamental right to organize. And we will not stay silent,” said Brigette Browning, President of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
Dr. Cornejo Pina’s termination is not an isolated incident of suspected retaliation. Other FHCSD providers have reported being terminated or pressured to resign after bringing up concerns about workplace conditions and leadership practices—further contributing to a culture of fear among the providers who remain.
Dr. Devesh Vashishtha, terminated in July 2025 after raising concerns about patient care standards and working conditions, is currently being represented by the UAPD in an unfair labor practice charge against FHCSD. He shared on LinkedIn:
“Under the direction of senior leadership including our CEO and President, I believe clinicians were pushed to see unsustainable numbers of patients without adequate staffing or infrastructure. At the same time, I learned that many staff and doctors from minority backgrounds complained of discrimination and retaliation by FHCSD leadership. Some of those minority staff and doctors involuntarily resigned from FHCSD to escape their perceived mistreatment and hostile work environment. Others were fired.”
Dr. Vashishtha also highlighted a troubling disconnect between the organization’s financial resources—nearly $300 million in liquid cash assets—and the conditions faced by clinical and administrative staff, including inadequate staffing, low wages, and punitive workplace policies. His full LinkedIn post is here.
The UAPD calls on FHCSD to immediately restore continuity of care for the affected patients and to address the longstanding concerns raised by its workforce.
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.
About the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO
We are a community of more than 200,000 union workers and union families united to improve the lives of all workers and communities. Representing over 130 unions across diverse industries—from nurses and teachers to construction tradespeople, janitors, hotel and hospitality workers, government and zoo employees—together we fight for living wages, affordable housing, quality healthcare, equal pay for equal work, better working conditions, and a secure retirement for everyone. Our strength lies in solidarity. Whether it’s firefighters standing with home healthcare aides, or professors marching alongside grocery workers, we know that when workers stand together, we win. Together, we advocate for a voice on the job and in the halls of power to create a more democratic and just world with abundant opportunity for all. unionyes.org