Denver Health employees seek pandemic hazard pay, saying hospital is "critically understaffed"

A group of Denver Health employees held a rally Tuesday to ask the hospital and government leaders to use a portion of the more than $300 million the county will receive for pandemic relief to give health care workers hazard pay for their time on the frontlines.

The hospital is facing a shortage of employees, which is placing more work on the doctors, nurses, paramedics and others who remain behind, according to the employees who gathered outside of Denver Health.

“The hospital is critically understaffed at this point,” said paramedic Peter DellaVecchia, who was holding a sign that said, “Pay more so we stay more.”

He said that without better pay, it will become more difficult for Denver Health to retain employees — especially as they are struggling with burnout and trauma from their work during the pandemic and are considering leaving the industry.

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/07/06/denver-health-pandemic-hazard-pay/