OH! THE STATE OF WASHINGTON PASSED A LAW JUST FOR LITTLE OL’ ME? AWW, GEE, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE.

Imagine my surprise when told by a reporter that it was illegal to be a hospital commissioner and hospital employee at the same time. Six years ago (Nov., 2005) I talked to the Atty General’s office and the Auditor’s office and was assured that there was no problem serving as a commissioner and being an employee of the hospital at the same time. “There is no reason that an employee nurse can’t be a commissioner.” So, I threw my hat in the ring.

In that election there were about 7000 votes cast and I lost by about 100. Had I changed the mind of 51 voters I’d have been on the hospital board. Pretty close, but nevertheless still a loss. OK, it’s the American way. As far as I know I was the only hospital employee in the state that was running for a commissioner’s seat.

Well, it must have caused quite a stir in some quarters because just a few weeks later, in Feb., 2006, Dick Goldsmith   (http://www.gsblaw.com/professionals/richard_j_goldsmith/),   from The Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts (http://www.awphd.org/) went to the legislature to lobby them to make this terribly dangerous practice ILLEGAL!

I’ll let you read the stuff for yourself.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2005-06/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/6504.HBR.pdf

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2005-06/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/6504.SBR.pdf

This guy got paid money (that came from public hospital districts?) to snow the legislature with sophomoric arguments that totally ignore the fact that there is already conflict of interest language in Districts’ bylaws.

Let me comment on an excerpt from the info supplied.

“Testimony For: A public hospital district's administrator is responsible for the district's day to day activities. By law, the commissioners appoint and terminate the administrator. It is not in the public interest for an employee to be a commissioner because this could undermine public confidence in the board's objectivity.”

·                 Where is the evidence of such a claim? It could also be argued that the public could have more    confidence in a board that knows first hand what is going on in the hospital.

“Due to a perceived or real conflict of interest, an employee commissioner may need to excuse him or herself from voting, and this could lead to a stalemate on important decisions.”

·                 Oh Please! The districts’ bylaws all have language that addresses conflict of interest.  Following Mr. Goldsmith’s logic, absolutely nobody with the slightest possibility of needing to recuse himself should be on a hospital board at all, but if two people recuse themselves everything will be A-OK because we are now back down to an odd number of voters etc. etc. I could go on and on, but you get my drift.

“Washington law limits an employee from serving as a commissioner of a flood district or sewer district, among others.”

·                  I can’t speak to the issues attendant to other types of districts, but what does any of that have to do with hospital districts? We could just as easily point out that in the entire history of the state there has not been a problem allowing hospital district employees to serve as commissioners. Other states allow employees to serve as commissioners therefore Washington should too.

“There should not be a problem finding non-employees to run for commissioner positions.”

·                  Since when is it in the interest of the legislature to concern themselves as to whether or not there are enough non-employees to run? Isn’t the idea of freedom and democracy to allow the VOTERS to decide whom they wish to have represent them?

This whole thing reeks of the abuse of power and position. You will notice that nobody spoke against this proposal. Why not? I’m 99.9% sure this whole thing was catalyzed by my near victory but did anybody contact me for my input? No. Did anybody contact Nursing or MD organizations? Probably – but by means of some obscure legal notice that was sure to be overlooked. This thing is not well thought through at all. As a conscientious employee I resent being unable to keep my job and serve as a commissioner at the same time. As a voter I resent the idea that the electorate needs to be babysat and “protected from making a bad decision” by lobbyists and legislators who are oh so much more intelligent than we are.  Year after year polls show Nursing winning out as the “most trusted profession,” caring for the most vulnerable members of our community and yet we nurses along with MD’s and other employees can’t be relied upon  to be professional and trustworthy enough to be hospital commissioners?

To our supporters and donors: this has become much bigger than just a local election. We nurses are even more determined now to win the elections for all three vacant seats on the board. On behalf of patients throughout the state we want to send a message to Olympia and to the special interests that it's not a good idea to jeopardize the well being of patients by forbidding the most knowledgeable and competent candidates from running.

Where are the boundaries of Hospital District One?

This map was provided by Skagit County GIS. The blue area is Dist One. The eastern border extends to just past Lake Cavenaugh. Click on the map to get a larger view.

Demoralized and denigrated nurses get burned out and there goes the quality of care. Don't take my word for it. Read the research.

INADEQUATE NURSE STAFFING INCREASES RISKS FOR PATIENTS

This research is helping to:

PREDICT factors involved in hospital nursing care and patient safety; PERSONALIZE methods to promote safe hospital environments and nurse job satisfaction; PREEMPT adverse patient outcomes by promoting safe nurse working conditions and staffing levels.

The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of registered nurses (RNs). This shortage has been especially felt in hospitals, where over half of all nurses work. A survey in 2004 found the average vacancy rate for RN positions was over 16%. Over the next decade, as the population of the U.S. ages, many in the “baby boomer” generation will enter retirement. This is expected to generate a surge in health care needs due to the effects of aging and chronic illness. By the year 2020, the demand for nurses is projected to exceed the supply by 20%. However, the link between availability of RNs and the outcomes of hospitalized patients has not been well publicized or understood.

Summary of Research

Dr. Linda Aiken, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Director of the NINR Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, has conducted several studies that examined the impact of nursing within the health care system. In looking at “Magnet” hospitals (hospitals known for their success in attracting and retaining nurses) and AIDS care units, she consistently found that higher nurse staffing levels were related to lower patient mortality and increased patient satisfaction.

Changing Practice, Changing Lives: 10 Landmark Nursing Research Studies                  3In a widely reported study from 2002, Dr. Aiken examined job survey results from over 10,000 bedside nurses, in conjunction with hospital discharge abstracts of surgical patients. Results of the survey found that over 40% of the nurse respondents, who averaged 10 years of experience, reported high job dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion or burnout.

The hospital data revealed that among post-operative patients, almost one-quarter experienced a major complication, and 2% died within 30 days of admission. Compared to units with an average patient/nurse ratio of 4 to 1, units with lower staffing had a 7% increased risk of patient death or failure-to-rescue (the development of a serious post-operative complication) for each extra patient assigned per nurse. An 8 to 1 ratio, the highest reported among the units in the study, increased the risk of adverse outcomes by 31%. In addition, poorer staffing intensified nurse dissatisfaction and burnout.

Implications

The round-the-clock presence of nurses on hospital units allows for surveillance of patient conditions and early detection and response to problems. Over the past decade, however, health care industry cost control measures have led to cuts in the nursing staff at many hospitals. These cuts, imposed at the same time that the Nation is experiencing a shortage of qualified, trained nurses, are driving some nurses from the profession. Dr. Aiken’s studies are among the first to document the relationship between nurse staffing on hospital units and the outcomes of patients. A good work environment lowers nurse burnout and staff turnover, while it improves patient safety and satisfaction with care.

According to Dr. Aiken, “Clearly, there is a direct relationship between nurse staffing and patient well-being. Nurse staffing is an issue that needs priority attention on a national scale. Patients’ lives depend on it.”

Reference

Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002; 288: 1987-1993.

4                  National Institute of Nursing Research

Why I am running for the post of Commissioner in Hospital Dist One in Mt Vernon WA

I feel strongly that the primary mission of Skagit Valley hospital is to deliver safe, efficient care to our patients. Working as a hospital RN has given me an opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t. Patient care is the essence of why the Board exists.  Every time the board makes a decision the members must ask themselves. “How will this effect patient care?” My executive experience in the Army and sixteen years running a construction business helps me see to see the big picture from the business/community viewpoint. My twenty years of hospital nursing allows me to see the micro-picture as seen from the hospital bedside. MD’s, other nurses, technicians, therapists, housekeepers, engineers, unit assistants, etc, all have insights that can, and do, impact the smooth running of the hospital. Being a conduit of these voices to the board will help guide good decision-making.