HPAE Launches Campaign for Safe Staffing
Health Professionals and Allied Employees/AFT/AFL-CIO
110 Kinderkamack Road
Emerson, NJ 07630
Media Advisory Contact: Jeanne Otersen 201-262-5005 or 201-280-9279
Event: Healthcare Union Launches Campaign for Safe Staffing
Releases ‘State of Nursing’ Survey:
Petitions NJDOH for Standards, Enforcement and Transparency
Who: Ann Twomey, President HPAE
NJ State Senators Steve Sweeney, Weinberg and Gordon
National AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Liz Schuler
Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto
Mayor Steve Fulop, Jersey City
Charles Wowkanech, President, NJAFL-CIO
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Time: 12:30pm – 2:00pm – Public Program
Location: Forsgate Country Club, Monroe, NJ
Background:
HPAE, NJ’s largest union of nurses and healthcare workers will release the results of a survey of Registered Nurses and their responses on staffing in their hospitals and healthcare facilities.
HPAE will also launch a petition to the NJ Department of Health to update staffing standards and improve enforcement of hospital quality, particularly during hospital conversions.
The campaign launch and public program with NJ Elected Officials are part of a day-long conference of healthcare union leaders addressing the changing health care system and strategies for protecting patient care, workers' rights and community access to affordable, quality health care. More than 120 healthcare union leaders from HPAE are expected to attend the conference.
“NJ nurse staffing guidelines have not been updated since 1987, and are woefully inadequate,” said Ann Twomey. “The NJDOH has taken a laissez-faire attitude towards enforcement, even as a wave of for-profit conversions of our community hospital threatens access, affordability and quality of healthcare. It’s time our state government took more action, became more accountable and provided more transparency for where our healthcare dollars are going.” ##