Four nurses are suing Endeavor Health, citing serious violations of labor laws and unsafe working conditions that jeopardize patient safety.
In addition, the four nurses said in the lawsuit that they have been required to perform duties at specific times without pay, and one nurse had a personal cell phone searched by hospital administrators without the consent of the cell phone owner.
Endeavor Health boasts nine hospitals and more than 300 care locations across Chicagoland, including Highland Park Hospital in Highland Park and Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
In addition, the website claims they have immediate care facilities in Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Gurnee, Kildeer, Lake Bluff, and at over 300 locations throughout Lake and Cook counties.
“We want to make clear the safety of our patients, team members, and the communities we serve is our highest priority,” an Endeavor spokesman told the Lake & McHenry County Scanner in response to the lawsuit. “We have a long-standing commitment to maintaining safe, supportive, working environments and adhering to all applicable laws and industry regulations. Due the pending nature of litigation, we are unable to address the specific claims in further detail.”
The nurses claim in the lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that Endeavor has systematically understaffed its facilities, leading to unpaid wages and significant risks to patient care.
The complaint also alleges that Endeavor knowingly violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Illinois Minimum Wage Law, and the Illinois Wage Payment & Collection Act.
The nurses assert they have been forced to work unpaid hours to meet the demands of patient care while also dealing with unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios that compromise their ability to deliver adequate care.
According to the lawsuit, the patient safety risks from understaffing include delays in care, medication errors, higher morbidity rates, higher mortality rates, and more frequent patient falls.
“Endeavor Health’s practices not only undermine the rights of dedicated nurses but also put patients at risk,” said Blake Horwitz, attorney for the plaintiffs. “This lawsuit aims to hold Endeavor accountable for its actions and ensure that nurses receive fair compensation for their crucial work.”
The lawsuit continues that, as a result of understaffing, several hospitals typically have only one nurse working a shift in the waiting room for the emergency room and tending to multiple patients at once.
The lawsuit says that on at least one occasion, a patient in one of the Endeavor’s hospital fell and broke their hip, a patient in one of the waiting rooms arrived at the emergency room with a respiratory infection and ended up with a hypoxic brain injury due to a lack of prompt treatment, and a patient was given the wrong blood type for a transfusion, causing the patient’s death.
When patients experience an injury from a fall while at the hospital, it can be indicative of understaffing, the lawsuit says.
In that regard, 55 patients have fallen at Endeavor hospitals in Glenbrook, Highland Park, and Evanston hospitals in 2024, the lawsuit claims.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs describe harrowing experiences of working under extreme pressure, often being required to perform duties beyond their scheduled shifts without pay.
Additionally, nurse and plaintiff Jessica Balagtas alleges her personal cell phone was searched without consent by a human resources administrator after she was discussing unionization efforts in text messages with colleagues.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for unpaid wages and statutory damages to address the grievances of the nurses, Horwitz said.
“This case highlights the urgent need for reform in how healthcare organizations treat their employees,” Horwitz said. “Nurses deserve to work in an environment where they can provide safe care without fear of retaliation or financial exploitation.”