Guaranteed Healthcare

Advocate for Ratio Law in Texas- Here is how:

GreetingsColleagues and fellow Texans,

I amsending you this information because at one time or another we discussed thestate of Health Care and the Nursing Profession, or I feel you would beinterested in the information.  The Texas Hospital Patient Protection Actis legislation of supreme importance before all Texans today that deserves yourthoughtful consideration.  Pleasetake time to advocate for it to your respective State Representative andSenator.  Here are links to help you determine who your state officialsare and get contact information:

http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Ifyou do not wish to receive any further emails from me on political issuesplease let me know.  I only sporadically send these out.  I am anactivist for this bill and am personally lobbying for it as a concerned citizenand professional healthcare provider.  I, with other RN's who share thisconcern, are at the State Capitol on a weekly basis talking with legislators oranyone in their office who will listen to us.  

ManyLegislators do not have time to read all the bills they are asked to vote on. Your testimony will enlighten them to do what is best for Texas Nursesand Patients.  I assure you, those who oppose us are out in force as well,and have spend many dollars hiring lobbyists and are seeking to influence yourrepresentative to favor their cause against ours.  I invite you to join usand support our efforts in any way you see fit.  Fell free to write meback to get more information or express your opinion.

As aRegistered Nurse I feel obligated to protect the public from harm, especiallyharm that may occur in a hospital setting.  I am sending you a link belowto read about the Nurse to Patient Ratio law:  

http://www.calnurses.org/assets/pdf/ratios/ratios_booklet.pdf

We asTexans have our own bill, The Texas Hospital Patient Protection Act.  Itclosely resembles this law that has been on the books in California since 2004. The size and demographics of our 2 states are similar, althoughculturally there may be a bit of a divide.

In ityou will find a comparison showing the effectiveness of a true ratio law. If this bill is passed, patients will be safer.  The RegisteredNurse will not be overburdened with more patients than he or she can safelycare for.  Registered Nurses will have real whistle blower protection toadvocate in the exclusive interests of patients.  RNs will have more timeto teach and educate patients and their families to manage disease and chronicconditions.  These interventions will prevent complications that mightotherwise land them back in the hospital.  Fewer RNs will feel the need toleave bedside nursing due to unrealistic expectations and frustration of tryingto deal responsibly with an oppressive load of sick, complicated patients. Hospitals will have lower infection rates, accident rates, Nurse vacancyrates, and a sound financial footing.

SafeRN ratios have produced cost savings for hospitals in reduced spending ontemporary RNs and overtime costs, lower RN turnover, shorter patient lengths ofstays, and improved patient outcomes. 

-Adding133,000 RNs to the U.S. hospital workforce would produce medical savingsestimated at $6.1 billion in reduced patient care costs — Medical Care, January2009. 

-Preventingmedical errors reduces loss of life and could reduce healthcare costs by asmuch as 30 percent. Insurers paid an additional $28,218 (52 percent more) andan additional $19,480 (48 percent more) for surgery patients who experiencedacute respiratory failure or post-operative infection — Health ServicesResearch, July 2008. 

* Raisingthe proportion of RNs by increasing RN staffing to match the top 25 percentbest staffed hospitals would produce net short-term cost savings of $242million — Health Affairs, January/February 2006. 

-Excerptfrom the flyer.

Iask you to support pending legislation in Texas for the Texas Hospital PatientProtection Act of 2009 (House Bill 1489, Senate Bill 1000): 

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/SB01000I.pdf

Officialauthority from the people of our state, through the law, will compel hospitalsto allow nurses to have manageable patient loads.  The nursing shortagewill be lessened when this bill passes.  Patients will be safer.   No other hospital professional is in such a unique position to protectpatients from harm as the bedside nurse.  They are usually the lastprofessional there before a treatment is given, a medication administered, aprocedure is begun.  Nurses will be empowered to advocate without fear ofretaliation from their employer on behalf of their patients.

Pleasestand up for Registered Nurses and the patients of our state!  This billcosts the State nothing.  It is not asking for money from the taxpayer. It is placing a priority on safety in our hospitals and is a keycomponent in improving the delivery of health care in our state.

Donot be confused by half-measures.  There is currently a bill pendingbefore the legislature supported by the Texas Hospital Association.  It issponsored by Representative Donna Howard & King on the House side, andSenator Jane Nelson on the Senate side.  It is House Bill 591 and SenateBill 476.

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/HB00591I.pdf

Whenexplaining our bill (SB 1000) to one of the more experienced aides to Rep.Kolhorst (Brenham) who chairs the Public Health Committee in the House, helikened the Howard/Nelson bill to the "Light Beer version" of a ratiolaw.  He explained it is common for this to occur when there is agrassroots movement to do something meaningful about a real problem our statefaces.  Those who may feel threatened by that movement will offer a billthat sounds like it does something meaningful when in reality it does little,or may even leave the door open to weaken current law.  This bill by DonnaHoward and Jane Nelson fits that description.  It does not even place afloor or minimum on how many patients a nurse may have.  It doesn'tmention Registered Nurse once, but even refers to a "mix" ofstaffing. 

Anyrepresentative that supports HB 591 may be fooled into thinking they are doingsomething positive to address the problems nurses and patients face, when inreality, they are not, or at best are doing very little. The wording of thebill is very permissive.  Hospitals may choose not to follow therecommendations of a staffing committee. Don't be fooled.  Even thoughtheir bill may have some advocates in the Texas Nurses Association, it is beingbacked by the Texas Hospital Association to counter our more meaningful bill, andcircumvent any real reform or challenge to their power. 

Pleasetake a moment to email Rep Howard, King, and Senator Nelson to ask them if thisis all we can get from them to protect our profession and our patients. Senator Nelson flatly refused any amendments to her bill to make it moremeaningful.  Let the sponsors of this “Light Beer Legislation” know youexpect more advocacy for Texas nurses and patients:

jane.nelson@senate.state.tx.us

donna.howard@house.state.tx.us

susan.king@house.state.tx.us

TheTexas Hospital Patient Protection Act

Housebill 1489 and companion Senate Bill 1000 is meat and bones the kind of reformwe need.  Our bill is being sponsored on the House side by Rep Senfronia Thompson, and by Senator Mario Gallegos on the Senate side.  Representative Thompson is a dedicatedlegislator with approx 16 terms as a representative of her district.  Shehas had personal experience with healthcare delivery and understands theissues.  Senator Gallegos has experienced first hand being a patient in aTexas Hospital.

Pleasetake time to offer them your appreciation supporting Texas nurses and patients:

senfronia.thompson@house.state.tx.us 

mario.gallegos@senate.state.tx.us

Allof these representatives are obligated to listen to you, especially yourelected representative, and not just to the powerful interests that send moneyto their campaigns and lobbyists to their offices.

Thanks,

DavidSmith RN

P.S.Please forward this email to all the Nurses, Doctors, other HealthcareProviders, and potential Texas patients you think may be interested insupporting this cause.

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