MNA NewsScan, April 17, 2013: Nurse crisis in NY; Hospitals profit from errors

NOTES ON NURSING

Nurse Crisis in New York   Despite an increase in candidates, the State Nursing Association said hospitals aren’t hiring. In the end, it is hurting patients. State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried is the sponsor of the State Staffing Bill.

What Nurse Jackie Means for America   The reality of health care lurks outside our studio in Queens, New York, and informs some of what the writers create. The relentless money crunches. Corporate overlords coldly pulling strings on delicate medical and staffing decisions. Overcrowded waiting rooms and illogical triage. Communication vacuums between doctor and patient. The constant vulnerability of patients to not only disease, but to the system.

HEALTH CARE

Hospitals Profit From Surgical Errors    Hospitals make money from their own mistakes because insurers pay them for the longer stays and extra care that patients need to treat surgical complications that could have been prevented, a new study finds.

Lawmakers Blast FDA For Meningitis Outbreak Tied to Compounding Pharmacy   House Energy and Commerce Committee members blasted Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Tuesday for failing to crack down on the compounding pharmacy responsible for a deadly fungal meningitis outbreak last fall despite a history of known problems.

SE MN Now on Hook for More Costs in Mayo Plan  If the Mayo Clinic is to expand in Rochester, city and county residents must contribute a larger share of the $500 million needed for public transit and other improvements, state lawmakers said this week.

Hospitals Lobby Hard for Medicaid Expansion   With billions of dollars at stake, hospitals are lobbying hard for Medicaid expansion in Columbus, Tallahassee and other state capitals where state legislators oppose the extension of the program to some 17 million Americans.

LABOR UPDATES

MNA’s Jean Ross Helps Reintroduce Inclusive Prosperity Act     It’s time for the administration to stand with the people and TAX WALL STREET

Michigan GOP Explores Further Limits on Unions   State Rep. Mike Shirkey, the leading legislative advocate of the right-to-work law, said he has drafted but not filed a bill to eliminate exclusive representation for unions.