Standards of Care Update
Last Friday, MNA, in consultation with our legislative allies, revised the Standards of Care Act to shift the focus of the bill to collect Minnesota-specific data on issues of nurse staffing transparency as it relates to patient outcomes. We continue to strongly believe that every patient in the state deserves a minimum number of Registered Nurses and that any data collected will validate the thousands of nurses in Minnesota who experience unsafe staffing on a daily basis.
We learned that legislators had too many questions about staffing, and not enough hard data specific to Minnesota hospitals. So we shifted our focus to a framework that would improve transparency by requiring hospitals to report their staffing on a quarterly basis, and tie it to data on nursing-sensitive health outcomes like falls, infections and pressure ulcers. MNA took our proposed staffing standards out of the bill in order to improve our chances at creating the most robust reporting system reflecting real nursing hours per patient day. In addition, the language now includes a study, developed by the Minnesota Department of Health that will evaluate the correlation between nurse staffing and patient outcomes, to be completed by 2015.
This week, the revised bill was passed by both the Senate Health, Human Services and Housing Committee and the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee. The House and Senate versions differ, and we will continue to pursue language that creates reporting requirements that provide the most transparency for patients and a true picture of nurse staffing in Minnesota.
Despite reports that MNA and the hospitals have reached an agreement, we still differ significantly from the hospitals on this bill. So it continues to be very important for nurses to contact our legislators to ask them to support the most robust reporting language possible.
Can you contact your state legislators to ask them to support strong consumer transparency language, nurse staffing reporting and a comprehensive study that gathers real data about the correlation between staffing and health outcomes? Let them know that unsafe staffing is still a problem for Minnesota patients and we need meaningful data collection to protect patients.
Click here to use the MNA Grassroots Action Center to send an email.
Health Insurance Exchange signed into law
On Wednesday, Governor Dayton signed the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange into law. The new program, now called MNSure, will allow Minnesotans to access affordable health care, including the uninsured and employees of small businesses. The exchange will be consumer friendly, transparent and will encourage competition among insurance companies. The exchange is estimated to save Minnesotans and businesses $1 billion by 2016. Click here to read the Governor’s statement.
Governor’s Revised Budget
Last week the Governor released his revised budget proposal, which dropped sales tax changes but continues the Governor’s commitment to tax fairness. Under his proposal, income taxes will go up on the top 2% of earners (average income of $617,000), leaving the other 98% with no tax increase.
MNA continues to support the Governor’s commitment to progressive taxation and investment into key state priorities including health care and education.
Employer Reporting of Drug Diversion Legislation
This week MNA representatives testified about a bill that would require hospitals to report employees who divert drugs to their professional licensing board. While MNA does not condone drug diversion, chemical dependency is an illness that is best treated through early intervention and ongoing monitoring. We are concerned that this legislation would discourage health professionals from self-reporting and seeking help from the confidential Health Professionals Services Program. Legislators on the committee agreed that it is important to add protection for self-reporters that would allow them to seek confidential help for their chemical dependency.
Easter/Passover Legislative Break
The legislature is taking their Easter/Passover Break from March 23 through April 1. There will be no MNA Legislative Update next week. We wish a happy holiday to all who celebrate.
Town Hall Meetings
While legislators are on break, many will be at home in their districts and holding constituent meetings. Please try to attend if there is one in your district.
Saturday, March 23
Senator Greg Clausen and Representative Anna Wills
11:00am – 12:30 PM
Rosemount City Library
14395 S Robert Trl, ROSEMOUNT
Representative Joe Radinovich
8:00am – Coffee & Conversation
1865 County Cafe and Bar – 14072 State Highway 65, McGRATH
Representative Joe Radinovich
11:00am – Hill City Coffee and Conversation
Hill Lake Cafe, 151 Lake Ave, HILL CITY
Representative Joe Radinovich
1:00pm – Emily Town Hall
Emily City Hall, 39811 State Highway 6, EMILY
Representative Peter Fischer
9:00am – Town Hall
Mahtomedi City Hall, 600 Stillwater Road, MAHTOMEDI
Senator Tom Saxhaug and Representative John Persell
9:00-11:00am – Town Hall
Bemidji City Hall, Council Chambers, 317 4th St NW, BEMIDJI
Representative Barb Yarusso
9:00-11:00am – Coffee and conversation
Raz’s Coffee And Ice Cream Cafe, 1048 Highway 96 W, SHOREVIEW
Representative Laurie Halverson
10:00am-12:00pm – Education forum with Jeff Soloman
Dakota Hills Middle School, 4183 Braddock Trail, EAGAN
Representative JoAnn Ward
10:00am-12:00pm – Coffee and conversation
New Woodbury Cafe, 803 Bielenberg Dr., WOODBURY
Representative Paul Marquart and Representative Zach Dorholt
10:00-11:30am
Whitney Senior Center – Olson Room
1527 Northway Dr, ST. CLOUD
Representative Paul Marquart and Representative Joe Radinovich
3:00-4:30pm
Brainerd City Hall
501 Laurel St., BRAINERD
Representative Ben Lien and Senator Kent Eken
10:00-11:00am –Town hall
Oakport Township Hall
1404 28th Ave N, MOORHEAD
Monday, March 25th
Gov. Mark Dayton in Moorhead
6:00 – 7:30pm
Oscar Bergos Center, Minnesota State Community & Technical College
1900 28th Avenue S, MOORHEAD
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
9:00am
Detroit Lakes High School Library
1301 Roosvelt, DETROIT LAKES
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
11:00am
Hawley High School Media Center
714 Joseph St, HAWLEY
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
2:00pm
Barnesville High School Library
302 3rd Street SE, BARNESVILLE
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
6:00pm
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School Media Center
513 Parke Ave S, GLYNDON
Tuesday, March 26
Gov. Mark Dayton in St. Cloud
6:00 – 7:30pm – Town hall
St. Cloud City Hall, City Council Chambers
400 2nd Street S, ST. CLOUD
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
9:00am
Ulen-Hitterdal Public School Library
27 2nd St N, ULEN
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
11:00am
Norman County East High School
408 Main St W, TWIN VALLEY
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
2:00pm
Norman County West High School Library
225 2nd Ave E, HALSTAD
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
6:00pm
Ada High School Library
604 W Thorpe Ave, ADA
Representative Zach Dorholt
5:00-7:00pm
James W. Miller Learning Resources Center, Rm 114-115, St. Cloud State University
720 4th Ave. South, ST. CLOUD
Representative Barb Yarusso and Representative Jason Isaacson
7:00-8:30pm
MAPE, 3460 Lexington Ave. N, Suite 300, SHOREVIEW
Saturday, March 30
Representative Mary Sawatzky
9:00-10:30am – Coffee and Conversation
The Westwood, 142 Lake Ave North, SPICER
Representative Yvonne Selcer
9:00-10:30am
Caribou Coffee
14444 Excelsior Boulevard, MINNETONKA
Representative Laurie Halverson
10:00-11:30am
The Wescott Library
134 Wescott Rd, EAGAN
Saturday, April 6
Senator Ann Rest
9:30-10:30 am
Robbinsdale City Hall
4100 Lakeview Avenue North, ROBBINSDALE
Senator Lyle Koenen and Representative Mary Sawatzky
8:30-10:00am – Coffee and conversation
Sunberg Creamery Café
403 Central Avenue, SUNBURG
Representative Shannon Savick
9:00-11:00am – coffee and conversation
The Bakery, Retail Room
345 E. Main St., BLOOMING PRAIRIE
Representative John Persell
10:00am-12:00pm – Coffee and conversation
Common Ground Coffee
1428 Hwy 5, LONGVILLE
Representative Barb Yarusso
10:00am-12:00pm
Mounds View Public Library Meeting Room
2576 County Road 10, MOUNDS VIEW
Representative Paul Marquart and Senator Kent Eken
10:00-11:00am
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
1900 28th Ave S, MOORHEAD
Representative Ben Lien
10:00-11:00am
M State Technical School, MOORHEAD
Saturday, April 13
Representative Zach Dorholt
9:00-11:00am
Whitney Senior Center
1527 Northway Dr., ST. CLOUD
Representative Shannon Savick
9:00-11:00am – Coffee and conversation
Prairie Wind coffee
211 S. Broadway, ALBERT LEA
Representative Mary Sawatzky
9:00-11:00am – Coffee and conversation
Lulu Bean’s, Small downstairs meeting room
1020 1st St. S, WILLMAR