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Advocacy Report • Friday, January 11, 2008
OHA Outlines Fundamentals of Maternity Licensure Legislation The House Health Committee this week heard testimony from OHA in support of a much-needed revision to Ohio’s maternity licensure statue. House Bill 331, sponsored by Rep. Mark Wagoner (R – Toledo), would change the current yearly maternity licensure renewals and maternity unit inspections to three-year licenses and tri-annual inspections. The legislation also creates a Maternity Advisory Council comprised of medical professionals and caregivers to assist the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) in promulgating new rules that are evidence-based and reflect best practices.
Bridget Gargan, vice president of state policy and advocacy for 
Advocacy In Action
Who: House Health Committee Message: Support HB 331 By When: Tuesday, Jan. 22
More Info: http://www.ohanet.org/advocacy/ OHA, outlined the fundamentals of the legislation and gave the committee background on the history of maternity licensure in the state of Ohio. The current ODH maternity licensure program was enacted in the 1950s and has not been meaningfully revised since then, although over the last 50 years, there have been numerous advancements in maternity and newborn care. Due to ongoing frustration among nurses and caregivers with the bureaucratic and antiquated licensure program, OHA convened a Maternity Licensure Task Force consisting of nurse managers of hospital obstetric and newborn services to address issues involving licensure and the regulation of maternity services. HB 331 is a direct result of the task force’s goal of reducing the amount of time and money spent preparing for the reapplication of licensure, instead directing those resources to patient care. This legislation will enhance maternal and newborn care by reforming and modernizing maternity licensure in Ohio and it will streamline the licensure process for maternity homes.
The bill would impact the 121 active hospital maternity units and three functional maternity homes in Ohio. A committee vote on the bill is expected this month. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)
CNA Speaks Out Against OHA-Supported Nurse Staffing Bill The California Nurses Association (CNA) yesterday appeared before a legislative panel, slamming OHA, Ohio hospitals’ commitment to patient safety and an OHA-supported bill requiring hospitals to ensure a voice for direct care nurses when establishing staffing plans.
Five registered nurses representing the National Nurses Organizing Committee, a federal nurses union affiliated with CNA, testified before the House Health Committee in opposition to House Bill 346. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus), would require hospitals to:
§ create a hospital-wide nursing care committee charged with developing recommendations for a written nursing care staffing plan guiding the assignment of nurses. Direct care nurses representing all types of nursing services offered by the hospital will serve on the committee as will the hospital’s chief nursing officer. § create a staffing plan, giving significant regard to the committee recommendations. The nursing services staffing plan, which must be consistent with current governmental and private accreditation standards, must then be provided to all staff nurses and to the public when requested.
CNA asserted that nurse staffing is unsafe in all hospitals, except
Advocacy In Action
Who: House Health Committee Message: Support HB 346 By When: Tuesday, Jan. 22
More Info: http://www.ohanet.org/advocacy/ state/issues/nursestaffing.htm
for those in California and Australia, where government-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios have been enacted, regularly resulting in patient injury and death. CNA indicated it plans to introduce a competing bill in the coming weeks, which would mandate ratios in various units within the hospital. OHA has learned the nurse-to-patient ratios to be proposed in the CNA-supported legislation would be set at: critical care 1:2; operating room 1:1; labor and delivery 1:1; pediatrics 1:3; med/surg 1:4; and step down and telemetry 1:3.
OHA will continue to advocate for enactment of HB 346, touting it as a common-sense nurse staffing bill that provides hospitals with the flexibility needed to ensure quality patient care and provides nurses with a greater voice in the staffing plan process. The bill also is supported by the Ohio Nurses Association and the Ohio Organization for Nurse Executives. Members of the House Health Committee also have expressed their support for the bill, which is expected to receive a committee vote this month. For more information visit OHA’s nurse staffing Web page. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org; Jean Scholz, jeans@ohanet.org)
Voter Registration Deadline Quickly Approaching Want to vote in Ohio’s primary election? 2008 will be a year of important election year as we elect a new president, along with numerous federal, state and local races. To be able to vote in Ohio’s primary on March 4, you need to be registered by Feb. 4. To register to vote, visit OHA’s Web site to fill out a voter registration form today.
OHA Advocacy “In the Know”
With election season upon us, OHA and Friends of Ohio Hospitals, the political action committee for Ohio hospitals and health systems, would like to provide hospitals with a basic understanding of do’s and don’ts with respect to political activity.
Guidelines on Participating in Political and Lobbying Activity Do’s and Don’ts of Political Activity
Not a Member of the Advocacy Network? Being a member of the OHA Advocacy Network provides you access to information on government activity and assists the hospital industry in sending unified messages to elected officials. If you are not a current member, you can easily join on-line. Join today to start reaping the benefits of being a member of the OHA Advocacy Network.
The OHA Advocacy Network is a service of the Ohio Hospital Association, 155 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215-3620, 614-221-7614, 614-221-4771 (fax)
Visit us on the Web at: www.ohanet.org
Direct questions on OHA’s advocacy agenda to:
Bridget Gargan, Vice President, State Policy & Advocacy (bridgetg@ohanet.org) Jeff Klingler, Director, State Policy & Advocacy (jeffk@ohanet.org) Jean Scholz, RN, Director, Health Policy (jeans@ohanet.org) Rick Sites, General Counsel (ricks@ohanet.org) Stacey Conrad, Manager, State Policy & Advocacy (staceyc@ohanet.org) Jonathan Archey, Manager, Federal Relations (jonathana@ohanet.org) Laura Landis, Executive Assistant, State Policy & Advocacy (laural@ohanet.org) © 2001-2008 OHA. Last updated
January 11, 2008. |