The largest health care strike in Oregon history began early Friday at Providence across the state, as roughly 5,000 frontline health professionals walked off the job.

On Tuesday, nearly 5,000 healthcare workers in Oregon announced their plans to go on strike, starting Friday, Jan. 10 at 6 a.m.

Oregon’s Providence hospitals and nearly 5,000 of its workers have yet to agree on terms to bump wages and address staffing shortages. That means the largest health care strike in the state’s history will begin Friday morning.

Roughly 5,000 nurses, hospitalists and other frontline health workers at Providence hospitals and clinics across Oregon are set to go on an open-ended strike starting Jan. 10.

Thousands of health care workers at Providence hospitals and clinics in Oregon are planning to go on strike Jan. 10.

With concern growing over hospital care as a Friday strike looms at Providence Hospitals, representatives from the Oregon Nurses Association held a press conference to update the public on their preparations.

Providence has begun limiting admissions to its SW Portland hospital, St. Vincent Medical Center, ahead of what could be the largest health care strike in Oregon history. The big picture: Roughly 5,000 health care workers — including physicians,