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ChristianaCare doctors in Delaware look to unionize, citing need for better benefits

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ChristianaCare doctors in Delaware look to unionize, citing need for better benefits


NEWARK, Delaware (WPVI) — ChristianaCare physicians in Delaware have filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union.

Doctors say in recent years, issues such as burnout, being understaffed, recruitment, and retention have gone unaddressed by the administration.

Now, they felt they had no other choice.

“I think our hands were forced to do this. All of the physicians are reaching a breaking point,” said ChristianaCare Dr. Ragu Sanjeev, one of the leaders of the effort.

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Doctors also say “compensation redesign” by the hospital would take away doctors’ paid time off, which they say is essential to preventing burnout.

Under this plan, vacation and other time off would not be compensated.

“That’s what really frustrated us and that’s what broke the camel’s back so to speak,” said Dr. Gennadiy Ryklin with a ChristianaCare.

However, doctors say their goal is better patient care and outcomes, which they believe are being negatively affected by current conditions.

“It always starts in the emergency room and right now, the one thing that we see is patients can’t even get an emergency room bed. We’re practicing hallway medicine,” said Dr. Ryklin.

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Among roughly 400 eligible doctors in the system, leaders say there’s about 70% in support to unionize.

Doctors say they want patients’ needs prioritized, more input in decision-making, better benefits, and less corporate influence.

They say there’s been a shift to more doctors employed by hospitals as opposed to working in private practice or being self-employed.

“Corporatization of medicine has expanded its claws over us, how we practice medicine, how we take care of patients,” said Dr. Sanjeev.

“I personally have felt in my five years as an attending physician, and my colleagues that have been in it for decades, they’ve seen that their voice has been lost with the corporatization of medicine, of private equity firms coming in and buying hospitals,” echoed Dr. Ryklin.

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In response to doctors’ concerns and efforts to unionize, ChristianaCare issued the following statement to Action News:

“At ChristianaCare, we are proud of our physicians, who deliver world-class care while serving our patients and our community with love and excellence. We believe that continuing to have a direct relationship with physicians is an essential component of our continued shared success. We have received the petition from Doctors Council SEIU Local 10 MD and recognize the right of all employees to vote on whether or not they want a union to represent them.”

Doctors say they want to work with their employers to improve their workplace and care for patients.

“In no way is this adversarial. We want to work together with our employer to enact positive change,” said Dr. Ryklin.

If efforts to unionize are successful, physicians at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital in Newark, the Wilmington Hospital, and Middletown ER would all be covered.

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Unions among physicians aren’t very common, but given conditions at hospitals across the country post-pandemic, it has happened in other places and could be a growing trend, according to Dr. Sanjeev.

“The trend has started primarily due to us being asked to do more and more with less and less of everything, including time and energy. The situation that exists currently does not let us practice medicine the way we want to, which is the right way,” Dr. Sanjeev said.

The National Labor Relations Board confirms it has received the doctors’ petition. Doctors at ChristianaCare hope to have a vote in six to eight weeks.

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

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Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?


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Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

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The following school districts have announced delays.

New Castle County

  • Red Clay- 2 hours
  • Christina- 2 hours
  • Brandywine- 2 hours
  • Colonial- 2 hours
  • Appoquinimink- 2 hours
  • New Castle County Vo-Tech- 2 hours

Kent County

  • Smyrna- 2 hours
  • Capital- 1 hour
  • Lake Forest- 2 hours
  • Polytech- 2 hours

Sussex County

  • Milford- 2 hours
  • Woodbridge- 2 hours
  • Cape Henlopen- 2 hours
  • Laurel- 2 hours
  • Seaford- 2 hours
  • Delmar- 90 minutes
  • Indian River- 2 hours
  • Sussex Tech- 2 hours

(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)



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Delaware

How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area

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How much snow fell on Sunday? Totals for Philadelphia area


Snow stacked up quickly across the Philadelphia region Sunday, with new reports showing nearly 9 inches in some suburbs and several inches on the ground in much of the city.

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

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The latest Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, issued at 10:36 a.m. Sunday, shows significantly higher snowfall totals than the early-morning reports. Many communities that were sitting at 1 to 3 inches before sunrise are now in the 5 to 8 inch range, especially north and west of Philadelphia.

5,500+ PECO homes, businesses without power Sunday as winter storm impacts region

In the city, an observation from Center City lists 3.6 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the Northeast like Fox Chase, Bustleton and Somerton are reporting between 4 and 5 inches. An official reading at Philadelphia International Airport shows 1.3 inches, underscoring the sharp gradient from the airport to the rest of the city.

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The heaviest bands have focused on parts of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties, where multiple towns are now reporting 7 to 8 inches. South Jersey and northern Delaware have also seen a solid plowable snow, with widespread 4 to 7 inch totals in some communities.

These totals are based on reports collected through about 10:30 a.m. Sunday and may continue to rise where snow is still falling.

Snow totals in the Philadelphia area

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Philadelphia

  • Fox Chase: 5.0″
  • Bustleton: 4.9″
  • Rockledge (city border): 4.9″
  • Somerton (1 SW): 4.3″
  • Center City/Philadelphia (observer): 3.6″
  • Philadelphia International Airport: 1.3″

December Snow in Willow Grove, PA (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chester County

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  • East Nantmeal Twp: 8.8″
  • East Nottingham Twp: 8.5″
  • Malvern: 8.0″
  • Berwyn: 8.0″
  • Exton area: 7.9″
  • Atglen / West Sadsbury Twp: 7.8″
  • West Caln Twp: 7.5″
  • West Chester (2.4 SSE): 6.5″

Montgomery County

  • Blue Bell (2.3 NW): 8.7″
  • Near Worcester Twp: 8.5″
  • Skippack area: 8.0″
  • Harleysville / Salford Twp: 7.5″
  • Pennsburg area: 7.0″
  • New Hanover Twp: 7.0″
  • Pottstown area (including Stowe and NE Pottstown): 6.6″–7.3″
  • Norristown: 7.2″
  • Willow Grove / Jenkintown corridor: 6.0″–6.4″

Bucks County

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  • Doylestown (3.4 SW): 8.0″
  • Hilltown Twp: 7.8″
  • Tinicum Twp area: 7.5″
  • Perkasie / Souderton / Trumbauersville: around 7.0″
  • Fricks: 7.0″
  • Newtown / Langhorne area: around 6.0″
  • Levittown: 5.0″
  • Croydon: 5.2″

Delaware County

  • Bethel Twp: 6.5″
  • Springfield: 6.0″
  • Upper Chichester: 5.5″
  • Aston: 4.8″
  • Morton: 4.9″
  • Lansdowne: 4.0″

Berks, Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties

  • East Nantmeal / Alburtis / Earl Twp / Lake Harmony / Lehigh Twp (Carbon): around 7.0″–8.0″
  • Coopersburg (Lehigh): 8.0″
  • Center Valley: 7.0″
  • Macungie (1 NW): 6.5″
  • Allentown: 5.6″
  • Bethlehem area: around 6.0″
  • Pen Argyl: 7.0″

New Jersey

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Burlington County

  • Moorestown: 7.0″
  • Mount Laurel / Burlington: 5.8″
  • Medford Lakes: 4.8″
  • Mount Holly (NWS office): 3.6″

Camden and Gloucester counties

  • Haddon Township: 5.7″
  • Pennsauken: 5.7″
  • Pitman: 5.6″
  • Washington Twp (Gloucester): 5.5″
  • Monroe Twp (Gloucester): around 4.0″
  • Winslow Twp: 3.1″

Atlantic, Salem and Cumberland counties

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  • Hammonton: 4.0″
  • Woodstown: 4.5″
  • Salem: 3.8″
  • Pennsville: 3.5″
  • Ventnor City: 2.5″
  • Atlantic City International Airport: 0.6″

Delaware

New Castle County

  • Bear: 6.8″
  • Hockessin: 6.0″
  • Wilmington (north): 5.4″
  • Newark area: 3.9″–4.6″
  • Middletown area: 3.8″
  • New Castle County Airport: 3.3″

Kent County

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  • Smyrna / Clayton / Cheswold area: around 2.0″
  • Magnolia area: 1.4″

Winter Light Spectacular at Lehigh Valley Zoo canceled Sunday due to snow, cold temperatures

By the numbers:

  • Highest total so far: 8.8″ in East Nantmeal Township (Chester County)
  • Other standout totals: 8.7″ in Blue Bell (Montgomery County), 8.5″ in East Nottingham Township (Chester County), 8.0″ in Doylestown area, Coopersburg and parts of Carbon County
  • City of Philadelphia: generally 3″–5″ away from the airport, with around 3.6″ in Center City and up to 5.0″ in Fox Chase
  • Many suburbs: now in the 5″–8″ range, especially north and west of the city

What’s next:

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Snow continues to impact travel across the region Sunday, with many neighborhood and secondary roads still snow-covered or slushy. Drivers should plan for reduced visibility, slick spots, and extended travel times, especially in areas that picked up more than 5 inches of snow.

The Source: This article is based on observed snowfall totals from the National Weather Service Mount Holly Public Information Statement.

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How much snow will we get? Delaware under winter weather advisory

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How much snow will we get? Delaware under winter weather advisory


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  • Delaware is under a winter weather advisory for the weekend, with snow and bitterly cold conditions expected.
  • Snowfall of 1 to 5 inches is possible across the region, with higher amounts of up to 6 inches in New Castle County.
  • The snow is expected to begin Saturday night and continue through mid-morning on Sunday.
  • Bitterly cold temperatures and low windchills will follow the snow, lasting through early next week.

Gas the snowblowers and get those shovels out because snowfall is headed for Delaware.

Snow is forecast for this weekend with bitterly cold conditions then settling in through early next week.

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On Saturday, Dec. 13, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, placed all of Delaware under a winter weather advisory and the Delaware Bay under a gale warning.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia and areas surrounding the city are under a winter storm warning.

Here’s a look at what to expect with the Delaware weather forecast for Saturday, Dec. 13, through Sunday, Dec. 14.

Delaware weather radar

When will it snow?

A period of snow is expected the night of Dec. 13 through mid-morning Dec. 14, according to the National Weather Service.

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This may start as some light rain or a rain/snow mix south and east of I-95 before quickly changing to all snow. Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early in the morning on Dec. 14.

About 1 to 5 inches of snow across the region is possible. While the location of where a zone of higher amounts can occur is less certain, the greatest chances for this is mostly across the I-95 corridor, the weather service said.

The snow will begin falling around 11 p.m. in Wilmington while snowfall will begin in the central portion of New Castle County by midnight and the southern part of the county by 1 a.m., according to the NWS.

The northern part of Kent County can expect snow to start falling around 2 a.m. and areas around Dover by 3 a.m.

Snow will begin in the southern part of Kent County and northern portion of Sussex County around 4 a.m.

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Most of Sussex County can expect snow at 5 a.m. while the southern part of the county will see snowfall by 6 a.m. Areas around Rehoboth Beach can expect snow by 7 a.m.

How much will it snow?

That will depend where you are in Delaware.

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A total of 1 to 5 inches of snow across the whole area. There could be a zone of 5-plus inches near I-95 into southern New Jersey and northern Delmarva, where snowfall rates near 1 inch per hour are also possible, according to the NWS.

Snowfall intensity may increase for a time early Sunday morning, forecasters said.

Most parts of New Castle County can expect up to 4 to 6 inches, while Kent County could see up to 1 to 2 inches in some areas. Sussex County should expect at least an inch, the NWS said.

Delaware snow forecast

Here’s an AccuWeather town-by-town snow forecast for this weekend in Delaware:

New Castle County

  • Middletown: 3 to 6 inches
  • New Castle: 4 to 6 inches
  • Newark: 4 to 6 inches
  • Pike Creek: 4 to 6 inches
  • Wilmington: 3 to 6 inches

Kent County

  • Dover: 2 to 4 inches
  • Felton: 2 to 4 inches
  • Harrington: 2 to 4 inches
  • Milford (In Kent and Sussex counties): 2 to 4 inches

Sussex County

  • Georgetown: 1 to 3 inches
  • Millsboro: 1 to 3 inches
  • Rehoboth Beach: 1 to 3 inches
  • Seaford: 1 to 3 inches

Snow impacts

Here are some of the likely impacts of the weekend weather, according to the NWS:

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  • Snow-covered roads and slippery conditions possible the night of Dec. 13 and the morning of Dec. 14.
  • Rain to snow could reduce the snow totals some. In addition, any pre-treating of surfaces would get initially washed away on the night of Dec. 13.
  • Hypothermia or frostbite could occur with prolonged exposure and lack of proper clothing. Some impacts to infrastructure are possible the night of Dec. 14 through Dec. 16.

Windchills reach single digits, gale warning

When you’re outside shoveling, make sure to bundle up because it’s going to be bitterly cold Dec. 14 into Dec. 16.

Bitterly cold conditions will arrive Dec. 14 and continuing through early next week with the coldest time frame the night of Dec. 14 through the night of Dec. 15. Air temperatures on Dec. 16 stay below freezing across the region.

By Sunday night, the windchill will make it feel like 6 degrees in Wilmington, 4 degrees in Dover, and 5 degrees in Rehoboth Beach.

Many areas will not get above freezing from Sunday through Tuesday until a warming trend begins Wednesday, Dec. 17.

Peak gusts of 25 to 40 mph will be present Sunday into Sunday night which will result in very low windchill values.

Areas of blowing snow are possible, which may result in roads becoming snow-covered again and reduced visibility at times, according to the NWS.

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Wind gusts between 35 to 40 knots are probable on the Delaware Bay and the New Jersey and Delaware Atlantic coastal waters along with hazardous seas. Areas of freezing spray are possible the night of Dec. 14 and Dec. 15.

How do I stay safe in the snow? 

It is strongly recommended that you stay at home when it snows.  

But if you absolutely need to drive, make sure you bear in mind the following safety tips: 

  • Drive slowly. Snow and ice can decrease traction on the road, so be sure to reduce your speed.  
  • Avoid using cruise control.  
  • Increase following distances from the usual two seconds to roughly five to six seconds, as it’ll take longer for you to come to a stop on snowy roadways. 
  • Make sure you have at least a half a tank of gas in your car.  
  • Make sure you have an emergency driving kit in your vehicle. Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.   

If there’s a chance you’ll have to shovel your driveway or walkway this weekend, make sure you pay attention to the latest weather forecast, wear appropriate clothing and boots, and drink lots of water. 

Make sure you also pace yourself as you’re shoveling. Check if you feel any pain or soreness and have your phone close by in case of an emergency. 

What should I do to keep warm? 

With winter fast approaching, residents are recommended to take the necessary steps to stay safe as the weather turns cold.

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This includes making sure your homes “can be safely heated” and you always have crucial items on hand in case of an emergency, including nonperishable and pet foods, water and medicine.  

Delawareans are also encouraged to have a driving kit in their car this winter.  

Items should include blankets or sleeping bags, extra warm clothing, first-aid supplies, drinking water and shelf-stable food items like protein or energy bars and trail mix.  

Olivia Montes contributed to this story.



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