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<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Arial Black" size=5><SPAN
class=564334920-28022008><STRONG>Coalition to Protect Massachusetts
Patients</STRONG><SPAN class=979023422-28022008><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2> </FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face="Arial Black" size=5><SPAN
class=564334920-28022008><SPAN
class=979023422-28022008> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Arial Black"
size=5><SPAN class=564334920-28022008><STRONG>Press
Release</STRONG></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">For Immediate Release<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 5">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>Contact: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Alex
Zaroulis</st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">February 28, 2008<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 6">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>(617) 549-0358<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 8">
</SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN><A title=mailto:azaroulis@fifieldstrategies.com
href="mailto:azaroulis@fifieldstrategies.com">azaroulis@fifieldstrategies.com</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt">Patient Safety Act is Approved by Public Health
Committee<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Measure Calls for Safe Limits on Nurses’
Patient Assignments, Prohibits Mandatory Overtime and Includes Initiatives to
Increase Nursing Faculty & Nursing Scholarships<o:p></o:p></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p> </o:p></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">BOSTON</SPAN></st1:City><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">, <st1:State
w:st="on">Mass.</st1:State> – The 125-member Coalition to Protect
Massachusetts Patients applauds the vote today by the joint Committee on
Public Health Committee to approve a bill to guarantee safe RN staffing in all
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State> hospitals. The measure, The
Patient Safety Act, calls upon the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
to set safe limits on nurses’ patient assignments, and also prohibits
mandatory overtime and includes initiatives to increase nursing faculty and
nurse recruitment.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill responds to </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt">increased concern over quality care in
<st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State> hospitals as well as evidence
linking disease and deaths to poor patient oversight caused by nurses being
forced to care for too many patients at one time. In recent years medical
errors and hospital acquired infections have soared, with the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) now reporting that 2,000 people, or six people per day,
are dying in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place> because of them every year. A
number of studies link the rise in hospital-acquired infections and other
medical complications to understaffing of nurses. A report published in the
July issue of the journal <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Medical
Care</I> which found that safe RN staffing levels could reduce hospital
acquired infections by 68 percent.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">In May
2006, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed similar legislation by
a margin of 133 to 20 but the bill was not taken up by the Senate. <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The Patient Safety Act: House Bill 2059
</B>is co-sponsored by State Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) and State
Representative Christine Canavan (D-Brockton).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“At last, we have movement on H.
2059!,” said Rep. Canavan.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“I am
so pleased that the Joint Committee on Public Health recognizes the merits of
this bill as written, and that it has released the compromise bill. Now we
must all join together to successfully move H. 2059 through the House and
Senate processes. Let’s make this the year we finally reach the Governor’s
desk!”</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“We commend the Public Health
Committee for their favorable vote on this bill and we look forward to a
successful vote in the full House,” </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">said </SPAN>John McCormack, the co-chair
of The Coalition to Protect Massachusetts Patients. “Every day we wait for
this bill to be passed, a distressing number of patients in our hospitals are
suffering, and many are dying due to a lack of appropriate nursing care.”<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">Key components of the bill include the
following:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
directs the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to develop and implement
staffing standards and enforceable limits on the number of hospital patients
assigned to a registered nurse at any one time.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The staffing
standards would be developed within 12 months of the bill’s passage and be
based on scientific research on nurse staffing levels, patient outcomes,
expert testimony, and standards of practice for each specialty
area.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
calls for the safe staffing limits to be implemented in all teaching hospitals
by 2009, with implementation in all community hospitals by 2011.<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 4"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 2"> </SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
allows DPH to grant waivers for hospitals in financial
distress.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
provides flexibility in staffing and accounts for patients who require more
care. Once established, the staffing levels will be adjusted up or down based
on patients needs using a standardized, DPH-approved system for measuring
patient needs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The Act will
reduce errors caused by fatigue and overwork by prohibiting hospitals from
forcing nurses into mandatory overtime.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It will also prevent hospital administrators from moving nurses into
unfamiliar assignments without proper orientation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The Act
prevents the reduction of support services, including services provided by
licensed practical nurses, aides and technicians.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
establishes a number of nurse recruitment initiatives—sought by the hospital
industry and supported by the Coalition—to increase the supply of nurses, by
providing nursing scholarships and mentorship programs, as well as support for
increases in nursing faculty to educate new nurses. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It also would create refresher programs
to assist nurses in returning to practice at the hospital bedside.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A survey of <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:place></st1:State> nurses
found that more than 65 percent of those not practicing in hospitals would be
likely to return if a law providing safe limits was passed.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>, where
similar limits have been in place for three years, 80,000 nurses have returned
to the bedside.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 39pt; TEXT-INDENT: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 39.0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol"><SPAN
style="mso-list: Ignore">·<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'">
</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">The bill
establishes strong consumer protections for safe RN staffing, including a
prominent posting of the daily RN staffing standards on each unit.<BR
style="mso-special-character: line-break"></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-prop-change: 'Mary Fifield' 20070915T1528"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify">To date,
125 of the state’s leading health care and patient advocacy groups have
endorsed HB 2059 and have joined forces to push for its passage in both the
House and Senate. Recent voter surveys indicate that more than 80 percent of
the public supports establishing safe staffing limits.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">The Patient Safety will now
move to the Joint Committee on Health Care Finance.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">###<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2>
<P align=left>David Schildmeier<BR>Director of Public
Communications<BR>Massachusetts Nurses Association<BR>340 Turnpike St.
<BR>Canton, MA 02021<BR>800-882-2056 x717<BR>781-830-5717<BR>781-821-4445
(fax)<BR>781-249-0430 (cell phone)<BR>dschildmeier@mnarn.org</P>
<P>Web Site: </FONT><A
title=file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/david/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.massnurses.org
href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/david/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.massnurses.org"><U
title=file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/david/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.massnurses.org><FONT
title=file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/david/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.massnurses.org
color=#0000ff size=2>www.massnurses.org</U></FONT></A></P><FONT size=2>
<P></P></FONT><FONT size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
color=#000000>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Diane Scherrer, RN
</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Western MA <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Community Organizer, <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Division of
Legislation</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Massachusetts</SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:State><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Nurses
Association </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">CELL: 781-363-3817</SPAN></FONT></P><FONT
face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV dir=ltr align=left>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-no-proof: yes"><SPAN
class=493133317-01062006>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT face="Lucida Calligraphy" color=#333399 size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #333399; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">"Without
good and careful nursing many must suffer greatly, and probably perish, that
might have been restored to health and comfort, and become useful to
themselves, their families, and the public, for many years after."
~</SPAN></FONT><FONT face="Lucida Calligraphy" color=#333399 size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #333399; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Benjamin
Franklin (1751)</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#333399 size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: #333399; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></FONT></SPAN></FONT>
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