UCSF Social Workers March to Chancellor's Office After Ward 86 Fatal Stabbing

Dozens of UCSF social workers and allied health staff marched to Chancellor Sam Hawgood’s office at the Mission Bay campus on Thursday to deliver a list of safety demands three months after social worker Alberto Rangel was fatally stabbed while on duty at Ward 86, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital’s historic HIV/AIDS clinic. Chancellor Hawgood did not meet the group; an HR representative accepted the written demands and told protesters the list would be placed on the chancellor’s desk.

The demands delivered to UCSF leadership included a written safety plan and security assessments of all behavioral health units, and, as outlined by workers and reported by the San Francisco Standard and Yahoo/KTVU, called for enhanced safety protocols, reduced patient caseloads, equal pay for campus and hospital social workers, trauma-informed support for staff, and direct inclusion of frontline workers in safety decisions. The group said those items reflected months of requests that went unanswered.

UCSF social worker Julia Pascoe, who told KGO/ABC7 she witnessed the December killing, pressed that lack of access to leaders has compounded staff trauma: "I was there when my colleague was killed in front of us. These are the list of demands from our union. We have also been trying to have a meeting for three months. It has been three months and one day and no one has been contacting us back about our safety about the inequities that exist."

UCSF officials say they have been working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health, hospital, city, and union leaders to review safety and security measures, patient-handling protocols, and workplace safety practices. A UCSF spokesperson told the San Francisco Standard, "Although tragedies like this one are rare, even one is too many," and added, "Every person who works in our hospitals, clinics, and community settings deserves a safe workplace." UCSF statements reported by KGO/ABC7 said leadership has implemented "meaningful improvements to security," reinforced reporting and response protocols, and is continuing to evaluate additional steps to reduce risk.

The union representing the social workers says a recent poll found 90 percent of UCSF social workers have experienced or seen assaults or intimidation while working; that figure was reported to Yahoo/KTVU and attributed to the union. At the Mission Bay rally, campus police guarded a bank of elevators as the group attempted to reach Hawgood’s office; protesters booed when he did not appear, according to Yahoo/KTVU.

Matias Campos, a UCSF pharmacist and union leader, urged the chancellor to take the concerns seriously in remarks to KTVU: "Part of the messaging of this rally is that, please take us seriously," and "You are the ultimate decision-maker for all of our co-workers. Please work with the Department of Public Health to address some of these concerns." Three members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Connie Chan, Shamann Walton, and Matt Dorsey, attended the rally and offered public support, the San Francisco Standard reported.

Workers and some clinic staff continue to express alarm about gaps in protection. Blackburn, whose first name was not reported, told the San Francisco Standard she "has heard reports that individuals have still been able to enter the building with weapons despite the new equipment. She hasn’t returned to the clinic since the incident." Another worker quoted by the Standard, identified only by the surname Alvarez, said, "Funding alone does not equal safety," and "We need transparency, we need accountability, and we need frontline workers at the table."

With the HR representative having taken the written demands to place on Chancellor Hawgood’s desk, protesters said they expect concrete, frontline-inclusive plans and clear timelines from UCSF and DPH before staff return to business as usual at Ward 86 and other behavioral health units.