Next Standard of Care Act Committee Hearing Scheduled (Page 73)

The Standards of Care Act has received its next hearing date.  MPR listeners may have heard recently that the bill to set a minimum standard of care for patients across Minnesota would not get an important hearing in the House health policy committee, but pressure on legislators has resulted in nurses, patients, and policy experts getting an opportunity to be heard.  Please support the Standards of Care Act by attending the hearing or sending a message to your state legislator that patients deserve a minimum standard of care, regardless of where they’ve chosen to receive care.

Contact your Legislator here:  https://votervoice.net/MNA/Address

Join the Wednesday lobbying sessions at the Capitol and meet your legislators.

Links to the committee and the bill are below.

Friday, March 15, 2013 9:00 AM

*** Note: *** Change in meeting room
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Tina Liebling


Meeting Time Note: If the committee needs to meet past noon, the committee will recess and reconvene in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
*** Note: *** Change in meeting time
Health and Human Services Policy

HF588  (Atkins) Hospitals required to provided staffing at levels consistent with nationally accepted standards, and staff level reporting required.

On:
In: Uncategorized

The Standards of Care Act has received its next hearing date.  MPR listeners may have heard recently that the bill to set a minimum standard of care for patients across Minnesota would not get an important hearing in the House health policy committee, but pressure on legislators has resulted in nurses, patients, and policy experts getting an opportunity to be heard.  Please support the Standards of Care Act by attending the hearing or sending a message to your state legislator that patients deserve a minimum standard of care, regardless of where they’ve chosen to receive care.

Contact your Legislator here:  https://votervoice.net/MNA/Address

Join the Wednesday lobbying sessions at the Capitol and meet your legislators.
… Read more about: Next Standard of Care Act Committee Hearing Scheduled  »

On:
In: Activism, Healthcare, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Organizing, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

Standards of Care Act Update        

   The Standards of Care Act, MNA’s bill to establish patient assignment limits for nurses passed the Government Operations committee 8-7. The committee passed an amendment to the bill to exempt Critical Access Hospitals (rural hospitals with 25 or fewer beds that meet certain federal criteria) from the legislation. MNA continues to believe that all patients in Minnesota, regardless of their geographic location, are entitled to the same standard of safe nursing care.
  In the House, the bill is now headed for the Health and Human Services Policy Committee. We will alert you when a hearing date is scheduled.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, March 8, 2013  »

On:
In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

Standards of Care Act

MNA’s Standards of Care Act is picking up steam at the Capitol. The bill passed its first committee in the House last week, and is scheduled to be heard next on Wednesday, March 6 at 10:00 am in the House Government Operations Committee in the Basement Hearing Room of the State Office Building. Please contact Geri Katz by email or at 651-414-2855 if you can show your support for the bill and the nurses who will testify.

Stories are pouring in from nurses and patients all over Minnesota, illustrating the human side of unsafe staffing.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, March 1, 2013  »

On:
In: Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

Video:  CNO of Essentia Sandra “Mac” McCarthy testifying to the House Labor, Regulated Workplace and Industries Committee on the Standards of Care Act, February 21, 2013.

Compare this to what Joe Howard, RN, at Miller-Dwan Burn Unit said:

“Chairman Johnson, Members of the Committee. Thank you for this opportunity.  My name is Joe Howard.  I’ve been a Registered Nurse for 11 years, and for the past year and a half, I’ve had the pleasure to work in the Burn Intensive Care Unit at Miller Dwan Medical Center in Duluth. 

As a nurse in the burn unit, you can imagine I have some serious cases. 
… Read more about: What Nursing Supervisors are saying…  »

On:
In: Activism, Healthcare, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

When Minnesota’s Commissioner of Management and Budget (MMB) Jim Showalter talked to MNA members earlier this month, he made one thing very clear. We’re on the edge of our seat.

That’s because Minnesota’s revenues are a three-legged stool: sales taxes, income taxes, and property taxes. Problem is, sales taxes have fallen short-27 percent of revenues in the last budget cycle. Meaning MNA members and middle-class Minnesotans are bearing the brunt of state needs with property taxes and income taxes. One leg of our stool is a little short. How short? Minnesotans paid 48 percent of Minnesota’s revenues in personal taxes for 2012-2013. (source: http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/doc/budget/report-pie/general-june12.pdf)

That’s not vertigo we’re feeling – it’s April 15th.
… Read more about: It’s a budget discussion. Have a seat, but don’t lean over.  »

On:
In: Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

While some people’s eyes glaze over when they hear the word, “sequestration,” on the news, the effects of the “S” word are sure to hit every state if ignored.

What is it?  It’s a series of automatic cuts-called the sequester- that will take effect unless Congress acts by March 1.  The Obama Administration has presented a state-by-state analysis of what these cuts mean to middle class jobs, children, seniors, the sick, and those men and women in uniform.

Impacts for healthcare this year include:

$507,000 lost to Minnesota to respond to public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and catastrophic events.
… Read more about: I keep hearing about this sequestration thing…  »

On:
In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

Do you believe it’s time for the state budget to improve the lives of middle class families? Should the wealthiest Minnesotans pay their fair share? Should we invest in our state’s most important priorities? Governor Dayton’s budget proposal <http://www.mn.gov/governor/budget/>  achieves those goals, while fixing our state’s structural deficit and making government more efficient. It’s an honest budget without gimmicks.
The House Tax Committee will be hearing the Governor’s budget proposal <http://www.mn.gov/governor/budget/>  tomorrow night. It’s important for supporters of Governor Dayton’s proposal to attend the hearing.
What:  House Tax Committee hearing of Governor Dayton’s budget proposal
When:  Wednesday, February 27th
Time:  7:00 PM
Where:  Room 10, State Office Building, 100 Rev.
… Read more about: Governor Dayton Budget hearing Wednesday night  »

On:
In: Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 MNA-NNU-spot-logo-for-Blog

LAWMAKERS AGREE PATIENTS NEED STANDARDS OF CARE

Standards of Care Act passes House Committee

(St Paul) – February 21, 2013- The Standards of Care Act passed the Minnesota Labor, Workplace and Regulated Industries Committee, moving the bill that sets staffing levels for hospitals to ensure safe patient care.  The bill was introduced to the Committee by House Author, Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights)

Committee members heard from bedside nurses from Minneapolis, Sleepy Eye, and Duluth about the struggle to provide good care for patients when they’re understaffed.
… Read more about: Press Release-Lawmakers Agree patients need Standards of Care  »