Legislative Priorities - Health Professionals & Allied Employees
 

Legislative Priorities

As hospitals merge, convert to for-profit status, and shift care into out-patient and clinic settings, the existing safeguards and standards for staffing and patient care have clearly been shown to be inadequate.

We need laws and regulations that:

Strengthen Standards for Safe Staffing and Quality Patient Care (S989/A1470)

  • Mandate, by law, that hospitals and other healthcare institutions provide safe staffing levels;
  • Update New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) regulations to reflect staffing and quality standards of nursing professional organizations

Protect Access to Quality, Affordable Health Care By Strengthening the NJ Department Of Health’s Oversight and Enforcement Actions:

  • Require for-profit hospitals to make the same financial disclosures required of not-for-profit hospitals;
  • Reinstate hospital license renewal inspections;
  • Strengthen employee involvement in all inspections, including the right to accompany NJDOH inspectors and receive inspection reports;
  • Increase NJDOH transparency by posting citations and Plans of Correction on the NJDOH website and making them available at hospitals;
  • Mandate the NJDOH provide an Annual Report to the NJ Legislature on the results of all inspections, including enforcement actions taken.

Strengthen the Standards for Buyers of our Community Hospitals:

  • Require buyers to make a long-term commitment to maintain the hospital, its services and levels of charity care;
  • Purchase agreements must include guarantees to maintain staff and safe staffing levels, as well as abide by workplace safety laws and collective bargaining agreements;
  • Require purchasers to maintain and continue to negotiate insurance contracts to assure coverage for local residents;
  • Require a monitor for each conversion to oversee compliance with state laws and regulations for at least three years following conversion;
  • Strengthen enforcement actions, especially for patterns of violations;

As hospitals merge, convert to for-profit status, and shift care into out-patient and clinic settings, the existing safeguards and standards for staffing and patient care have clearly been shown to be inadequate.

News

Education, Healthcare Unions Endorse Andy Kim for Congress
May 08 2018

May 8, 2018 Nurses and educators reject MacArthur attacks on health and education systems The American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFTNJ) and Healthcare Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), collectively representing more than 40,000 education and healthcare professionals in New

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HPAE Thanks Senator Joe Vitale & Assemblyman Dan Benson
Feb 09 2018

Nurses caring for patients at the bedside have a voice in their workplace when they are unionized. As the state’s largest healthcare union, HPAE represents 13,000 healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, addiction treatment centers, health clinics, research labs and

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Inspira RNs Meet With Political Leaders
May 17 2016

    With two weeks left before their contracts expire, nurses from HPAE Locals 5131 and 5621 met today with representatives from other unions and elected leaders at a community breakfast to discuss crucial staffing and patient care issues that

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Protecting Public Services and Democracy in NJ Cities
Apr 18 2016

President’s Message April 18, 2016 Public health professionals, residents, public service workers and local elected officials in New Jersey’s largest cities are watching with concern as the debate in Trenton continues over the proposed state takeover of Atlantic City. Placing

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HPAE Supports Paycheck Fairness Act
Apr 12 2016

  HPAE Chief of Staff Jeanne Otersen spoke at the Botto House in Haledon, NJ at an event organized by Congressman Bill Pascrell in recognition of National Pay Equity Day. As a representative of HPAE, Jeanne added her voice in

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Members Meet with Cumberland County Freedholders
Mar 30 2016

    Inspira RNs from Vineland had a meeting with the Cumberland County Freeholders to brief them on issues that will be presented at the upcoming negotiations and how they may impact the citizens of Cumberland County. Local 5131 RNs

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HPAE Testifies at Budget Hearing
Mar 22 2016

  On Monday, HPAE’s Public Policy Director Bridget Devane gave testimony to the NJ Assembly Budget Committee (Committee Chair Gary Schaer in photo above) regarding the impact of Governor Christie’s proposed budget on health care access, worker safety, and public

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Thats all, folks - no more news!

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