Labor Unions (Page 20)

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing

HEALTH CARE

Medicare to Penalize 2200 Hospitals for Excess Readmissions    More than 2,000 hospitals — including some nationally recognized ones — will be penalized by the government starting in October because many of their patients are readmitted soon after discharge.  Some Minnesota hospitals that will be penalized because of their readmission rates include Abbott Northwestern – 9%; Hennepin County Medical Center – 22%; St. Mary’s Rochester (Mayo) – 13%; United Hospital – 23%; Unity Hospital – 32%; Mayo Fairmont – 81%; University of Minneosta Medical Center, Fairview – 17%

Missouri-based Ascension Health Inks Deal with Embattled Debt Collector   Ascension Health has signed a new contract worth up to $1.7 billion with a Chicago-based debt collection firm that was banned for Minnesota for alleged hardball tactics.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 14, 2012: Hospitals FAIL; Labor rallies; Accretive pops up in MO.  »

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LABOR NEWS

NNU in the News: Health care is among the few sectors of the national economy where unionization is actually increasing. One local sign: nurses at St. Louis University Hospital and Des Peres Hospital recently pulled off rare votes to organize workers at local health institutions.

Nurses at California-based Arrowhead Regional Medical Center said patient care will likely decline if the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors imposes cuts to their pensions and the hospital continues expanding its use of registry nurses.

NOTES ON NURSING

A nurse-led fast-track sepsis screening and diagnosis program cut mortality rates in half at nine California hospitals.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 13, 2012: Nurses Help Cut Mortality Rates in Half  »

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NOTES ON NURSING

Work Schedules Contribute to Nurses’ Health Issues     “Adverse work schedules may be an overriding work-related factor for nurse obesity,” the researchers wrote. In addition to lack of opportunities for healthy behaviors, nurses with adverse schedules may have difficulty accessing healthy foods, the authors posited.

HEALTH CARE

New Medicaid Payment Method Will Save Money    Minnesota is the first state in the nation to receive federal approval for a new way of paying for health care in its Medicaid program.

Yes, There’s Probably A Medical App for That       The thousands of apps specifically geared toward health range from free to nearly $40 each, with most costing around $2.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 10, 2012: Is your work schedule making you unhealthy?  »

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In: Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Uncategorized

HEALTH CARE

Doctor is In; Retail is Out   The glut of empty strip malls and big-box stores in the wake of the go-go years has made leases so affordable that nearly every major hospital system in the state and many private health care organizations have jumped in.

Indiana Hospital Blames Electronic Records for Longer Waits in ER   Patients’ lengths of stay in Columbus Regional Hospital’s emergency department doubled in late June during a switch to an electronic records system, and times are still longer than usual despite improvements, hospital officials said.

LABOR

American Pilots Reject Contract   Pilots for American Airlines have strongly rejected a contract offer that would have helped the company cut labor costs, dashing American’s hopes of winning voluntary concessions from all its labor unions.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 9, 2012: Retail health care; AA Pilots Reject Offer  »

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LABOR NEWS

Women Know Best: Companies with women on their boards performed better in challenging markets than those with all-male boards in a study suggesting that mixing genders may temper risky investment moves and increase return on equity.

Unions representing more than 30,000 workers will gather in Philadelphia this Saturday as part of a “Workers Stand for America” rally.

Verizon workers struck for two energetic weeks last summer in response to billions’ worth of concessions demands from the profitable telecommunications company. Now, after 12 more months of fruitless negotiations, 45,000 Communications Workers and Electrical Workers (IBEW) across the Northeast may be putting down their tools and walking out again.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 8, 2012 – Women in the Boardroom; Another Verizon Strike Looming?  »

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

LABOR NEWS

Massachusetts RNs win fight as state leaders agree to ban on mandatory OT.

Public employee contracts for Minnesota state workers are likely to face opposition in the Republican-controlled Legislature. A House-Senate subcommittee plans to consider the pacts next week after labor unions representing 31,000 employees approved contracts negotiated with Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration.

Amid booming business and record profits, Caterpillar is seeking major concessions from its workers.

HEALTH CARE

The lawsuit has been settled, but patients say there are lessons that shouldn’t be forgotten from the furor over debt collection practices at Fairview Health Services.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 5, 2012: Debt Collection Lessons From Fairview, Republicans Likely to Oppose State Workers’ Contracts  »

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

LABOR NEWS

The New York Times looks at D-Day for the U.S. Post Office.

HEALTH CARE

Hospital Impact Blog: Here’s how hospitals can drive great patient experience.

Report: Women only make up 4% of healthcare organization CEOs and 18% of hospital CEOs.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 3, 2012: Driving Great Patient Experience, Where are the Women CEOs in Health Care?  »

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LABOR NEWS

Why Nurses Are Fighting for the Robin Hood Tax     MNA Executive Director writes about a tax for the people, not on the people.

HEALTH CARE

Unclear if ICU Telemedicine Can Save Hospitals Money   Remote monitoring of intensive care patients – a strategy to maximize scarce  medical expertise – can cost hospitals anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per bed  in the first year of operation, according to a new study.  Whether this investment pays off in the long run by improving ICU patients’  care and saving money, “we don’t know,” said Dr. Gaurav Kumar.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 2, 2012: Why a Robin Hood Tax; ICU Telemedicine  »

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

HEALTH CARE

The 35W Bridge Collapse:

 

LABOR NEWS

Supervalue Faltering Brings Union Concerns    Some 84,000 unionized grocery workers spread out across the country have new reason for apprehension this month as it became clear the nation’s third-largest operator of supermarket chains is financially wounded and planning to make dramatic changes.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, August 1, 2012 – 35W Bridge Collapse Remembered  »

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Health Care

Nurses Made the Difference:  You spoke up and helped deliver justice to patients.   Accretive Banned from Minnesota.    Accretive Health will be barred from operating in Minnesota for two to six years under a settlement agreement announced Monday by Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson.  The agreement ends a six-month legal battle in which Swanson had accused the Chicago consulting firm of deceiving patients, harassing them for money in emergency rooms and mishandling patient data at Fairview and North Memorial hospitals.  Related NY Times report.

Food-borne Illnesses Not Diminishing   Little progress has been made in combating many types of food-borne illnesses in recent years, according to new federal data, an outcome that food safety advocates say underscores the need to put into place the landmark food-safety bill signed by President Obama more than a year ago.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, July 31, 2012: Accretive Banned; Nurse Burnout = More Patient Infections  »