Research Medical Center nurses plan rally over unsafe patient care conditions

Registered nurses at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, are planning a rally on Thursday, June 4, to call for immediate action on what they describe as unsafe patient care conditions affecting emergency and surgical services. The nurses say concerns grew after the Sept. 8, 2025 closure of units that provided labor and delivery, neonatal intensive care, and obstetrics emergency care services.

According to the nurses, several pregnant patients continue to arrive at Research Medical Center every month without knowing those perinatal services have been shut down. The registered nurses, represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, say the hospital has not adequately staffed the emergency room and operating room to handle obstetric emergencies, pregnant patients, and newborns after the closures.

The nurses report ongoing concerns about inadequate staffing, a lack of specialized training for staff caring for pregnant patients, insufficient fetal monitoring capabilities, and inadequate obstetric and pediatric emergency resources. They also say there is not consistent OB/GYN provider coverage and that the hospital is not adequately prepared for obstetric emergencies in the emergency department and operating room.

Frontline nurses say they have repeatedly raised these issues with hospital management for months. Olivia Huggans, RN in the emergency department at Research Medical Center, said nurses have warned management that unsafe staffing levels, limited resources, and inadequate emergency preparedness put patients at risk. She said patients deserve safe, properly equipped care and that nurses should not have to worry about preventable harm because management did not prepare for foreseeable emergencies.

The rally is scheduled for June 4, 2026, from 6 to 6:30 p.m. It will take place at Research Medical Center, 2316 East Meyer Blvd. in Kansas City, on the Meyer Boulevard public sidewalk.

Hospital management has not implemented what nurses describe as critical patient safety measures, despite repeated warnings from frontline staff. Nurses say they have already staged a protest and a vigil last year to highlight serious risks to pregnant patients, newborns, and emergency patients. They also say Research Medical Center still has major gaps in emergency preparedness and perinatal care resources, which they believe puts pregnant patients and their babies in jeopardy.

The nurses say they have filed numerous Assignment Despite Objection forms documenting unsafe conditions and patient safety concerns. Elizabeth Hadl, RN in the emergency department at Research Medical Center, said nurses have repeatedly told hospital leadership and Chief Nursing Officer Julie Filbeck that staffing in the emergency department and operating room is unsafe. She said the problems are ongoing, not tied to a single event, and that nurses are being asked to manage emergency risks without enough staff, resources, or preparation to safely care for patients.

At a minimum, the nurses are asking for obstetric and trauma-trained RN coverage on all shifts, including nights and weekends. They also want an immediate review of emergency obstetric response readiness in the emergency department and operating room, readily accessible fetal monitoring equipment, and appropriate neonatal emergency equipment, medications, and code resources in both areas. In addition, they want clear patient-facing notice about the closure of obstetric services at Research Medical Center and immediate scheduling of additional RNs on every shift in the emergency department to help respond safely to emergencies.

The nurses say unsafe staffing conditions continue in both the emergency department and operating room. They describe the rally as part of an ongoing campaign urging hospital leadership to put patient care and frontline safety ahead of cost-cutting measures.

National Nurses United says it is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with more than 225,000 members nationwide. Its affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.