New Amendments empower patients, require hospital reporting
(St. Paul) – March 15, 2013 – The Standards of Care Act passed the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Policy Committee with amendments. Negotiations between the Minnesota Nurses Association and the Minnesota Hospital Association resulted in an agreement that recognizes the crisis of patient safety and creates a plan to add transparency to patient care.
“It’s the consumers of health care that really benefit from this,” said Walt Frederickson, RN, MNA Executive Director. Right now this data has been non-existent to us and the public.”
During a brief recess of the committee, the nurses union suggested that hospitals would report online the actual direct patient care hours for regulators as well as consumers to examine. The data would also go to the state Department of Health to conduct a study of staffing levels and how that correlates to patient outcomes. Despite previous protests that the reporting would be onerous, the hospital association agreed to the change.
“The amendment is a win for patients who want accountability and serves as a foundation for solving the patient care crisis that everyone recognizes-the chair, the hospitals, and especially the nurses,” Frederickson said.
Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester), committee chair, quickly put up the amendment for a vote and acknowledged, “there’s broad agreement we need to do something in this area.”
Now the Standards of Care Act moves to the Minnesota Senate. Sponsor Sen. Jeff Hayden (DFL-Minneapolis) takes his bill to the Senate Health, Human Services, and Housing Committee hearing on Monday, March 18.
Media Coverage
- Pioneer Press Bill Seeks to Study on Nurse-to-Patient Ratios
- MPR: Deal on Nurse Staffing?
- Star Tribune: Union Reaches Compromise with Twin Cities Hospitals Over Staffing Legislation