DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in the U.S., hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area are short-staffed today. They're having to cope with a strike beginning this hour by several thousand hospital workers. Michelle Franzen, with our San Francisco affiliate KRON, joins us live. She is at the scene of the walkout. Michelle, good morning.</s>MICHELLE FRANZEN, KRON REPORTER: Well, good morning, Daryn. Things are already getting started out here in San Francisco at St. Mary's Medical Center. They're already picketing outside the front here. They will be picketing here as well as nine other Northern California hospitals. Four thousand technical nurses and support staff are expected to participate in this 24-hour workout that will leave hospitals short-staffed and vulnerable to a health care crisis. It's effecting everything from surgeries to emergencies. Elective surgeries at most hospitals have been canceled. Emergency rooms are open but some facilities will be only taking walk-ins and diverting ambulances to other hospitals able to handle the flow. Now the union and health care workers are staying -- striking, this one-day strike, taking a stand for what they say quality patient care, and say hospitals have made cutbacks that are hurting patient quality care. Now the hospitals will be using temporary staff and also managers to help fill in the gaps during this one-day strike. Workers will be back to work tomorrow. But this will likely not work itself out any time soon. Reporting live in San Francisco, Michelle Franzen for CNN. Back to you.</s>BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Michelle, thank you.
San Francisco Hospital Workers Stage One-Day Walkout