July 10, 2025
With an overwhelming 90% vote of support, Allina Health physicians, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners voted to authorize a strike if the members of the Doctors Council – SEIU and Allina cannot reach a deal.
The June 30 vote follows 15 months of bargaining for the two groups and the first ever informational picket of unionized providers.
With this vote, the bargaining team of the Doctors Council – SEIU can call for a strike in the future. At this time there is no timeline for a potential strike, which would require filing an official 10-day notice of their intent prior to striking.
“We voted to authorize this strike as we feel Allina’s stalling indicates a lack of respect for the work we do,” said Victoria Chiou, MD, in a press release issued by the Doctors Council – SEIU. “Our primary focus is taking care of our patients as we walk alongside them in life; our union was formed to ensure we are able to continue to care for patients in a safe and sustainable manner … This strike vote was for us, but more importantly, it was for our patients and the future of healthcare nationwide.”
The group of more than 600 Allina providers voted to unionize back in October of 2023. If a strike occurs, it would be the first ever strike for unionized providers in Minnesota.
April 9, 2026
An amended piece of legislation that would exempt buprenorphine from prior authorization (PA) was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 9.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard a bill that would require coverage for psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services under Medical Assistance.
April 9, 2026
On April 9, the House Taxes Committee heard legislation focused on supporting the financial stability and ongoing operations of Hennepin Healthcare.