Legislative Committee Update-2009

Submitted by: Margaret Luce, MSN, RN

The Legislative Committee has reoraganized and Margaret Luce and Chris Steier are the co-chairs. Members are: Tina Blust, Ellen Ceppetelli, Richard Frank, Mary Ellen Kilgallen, Christina McCaffrey, Meredith Roberts, Bonnie Strand, and Jeanne Marie Vayda. The Legislative Committee has requested the name be changed to Government Affairs Committee which more accurately describes the committee’s activities; and reflects our efforts to engage and educate not only legislators, but also other elected officers and commissioners and staff of state agencies ; and other professional and non-profit organizations. The committee has identified Safe Patient Staffing as an issue we will focus on. Research indicates a correlation between staffing and patient outcomes.

Nursing Education: The Vermont legislators continued their support for nursing education in the ’09-’10 academic year. VSAC has received $60,000 for scholarships for LPN and RN students. AHEC received funding for loan repayment: $250,000 for graduates of LPN and RN programs; $45,000 for graduate education of nursing faculty; and $455,000 for primary care providers including nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives, physicians, and dentists. The loan repayment program has been instrumental in attracting new LPNs and RNs to all areas of the state, and the retention rate remains high.

Nurses’ Day at the State House on April 1 was very successful. Seventy two nurses from around the state came to learn how to effectively advocate in the political arena. Vermont Organization of Nurse Leaders and the Vermont Diabetic Educators Association were VSNA’s partners for Nurses’ Day. Representative Johanna Donovan, Burlington, introduced the nurses to the full House and the nurses received a standing ovation! The nurses had plenty of opportunities to learn and share their own perspectives on health care. The Diabetic Educators offered free blood glucose screening and more than 40 legislators were tested. Pat Jones , Director of Health Care Quality Improvement , BISHCA, discussed Act 53 and Vermont’s Community Report Cards for hospitals.

Status of Legislative Bills:
S. 80/H. 238, An act related to safe patient handling: The Senate Health and Welfare Committee took testimony on this bill but there has been no recent action.
H. 268, An act relating to prohibiting mandatory overtime for health care employees: The General Housing, and Military Affairs Committee took testimony, but there has been no further action.
H. 435, An act relating to palliative care: Passed. The purpose of this act is “to improve the quality of palliative care and pain management available to all Vermonters, to ensure that Vermonters are aware of their rights and of care options available to them, and to expand access to palliative care services for children and adults in this state.” The Vermont Ethics Network has created a work group to implement this legislation. VEN is currently working on a survey to identify health care providers, agencies and institutions that presently provide chronic pain management and palliative care. It was clear from testimony from patients and their families that access to pain management and palliative care varies , and legislators were concerned that there appears to be both under treatment and overtreatment of pain.

SAVE THE DATE APRIL 7, 2010 NURSES’ DAY AT THE STATE HOUSE!