NY Nurse June 2015

NYSNA Members Receive Caribbean American Healthcare Awards

NYSNA members Nancy Hagans, RN and LBU Chair at Maimonides Medical Center, and Curlean Duncan-Britton, RN at Kings County Hospital Center, received the 2015 Caribbean American Healthcare Award. Each year, Caribbean Life newspaper and the Community News Group grants the award to Caribbean nationals who have made outstanding contributions to healthcare in New York City. At this year’s awards celebration on June 25, a total of 32 individuals were recognized for their service.

In April 2014, New York passed the Safe Patient Handling Act. It gives Article 28 covered hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic and treatment centers until January 2016 to establish a safe patient handling committee comprised of risk management, nursing, purchasing or occupational safety and health. The committee must have two co-chairs, one from management and one frontline worker.

“Nursing: A Profession in Peril,” a five-part series of reports by consumer watchdog group Public Citizen being released over the spring and summer 2015, explores injuries to healthcare workers, potential methods to reduce these injuries, the policy positions of stakeholders and potential solutions. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data show healthcare workers perennially suffer more injuries — requiring time away from work — than those of any other profession, and many of these injuries result from handling patients.

The drumbeat for action on climate change is growing louder. Global warming and its effects on the Earth’s climate, including greater incidence of Extreme Weather Events, have environmentalists and public health experts on high alert. NYSNA members share the sentiment that action to control climate change must be an imperative.

After fifteen years of contracting out for prison health, New York City is bringing the services back in-house. On June 9, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he would end the city’s contract with for-profit Corizon Health Inc. (formerly Prison Health Services) when it expires in December and directed the Health and Hospitals Corporation to take over medical services at Rikers Island.

Hundreds of nurses from all parts of the state gathered in New York City on May 29 for NYSNA’s public sector conference. It was the second such meeting and the enthusiasm was palpable — as the spirit, commitment and camaraderie that is the public sector was abundant. Like many others in attendance, Andrew Palm, RN, who works for Cortland County’s Health Department, made the trip “to get together with a huge group of other nurses, share ideas, and learn from one another.”

NYSNA nurses at St. Joseph’s Hospital fought back, and won, against the hospital’s imposition of an unjust contract in late January. The 130 nurses at the Elmira hospital filed Unfair Labor Practice charges and their unity prevailed during the lead up to a board decision. On May 29, the National Labor Relations Board ordered the hospital to reset the clock to the expired contract and make the nurses whole for any and all losses due to the implementation. The St. Joseph’s RNs are committed to pressing forward until they achieve the contract that nurses and patients deserve.

Members at Health Alliance in Kingston unanimously ratified a new contract on June 10 with substantial gains and no givebacks. The contract includes an across-the-board wage increase of $1.00 per hour for all 180 RNs, and increases in experience steps that will give some members an immediate 10% pay bump. The nurses also won additional certification pay and more advance notice provisions.

A delegation from NYSNA, headed by Board Member Karine Raymond, RN, of Montefiore Weiler Hospital, attended the first-ever town hall of the Civil Rights Department of the national AFL-CIO. Advocates and activists from across the country joined together to have a candid discussion on race relations in America and how the labor movement can support dialogue and equity within communities of color.

The murders of nine African-American worshippers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, are the latest in a long, ugly trail of intolerance, injustice, and death that has befallen communities of color across America. These killings come in the wake of outrages in Ferguson, Staten Island and Baltimore.

There’s a scene in the movie, “The Gangs of New York,” where two different fire brigades arrive at a burning house. Instead of fighting the fire, they fight each other (literally). Different brigades had to compete with each other for the opportunity to collect payment from the private insurance companies. Every house with insurance displayed a medallion indicating which insurance company that house paid for protection. And if you didn’t have the right medallion, your house would be left to burn to the ground.

In recent weeks, the Supreme Court ruled favorably for low-income Americans who were denied subsidies for healthcare premiums and in support of same-sex marriage, acknowledging the economic vulnerability of millions in accessing healthcare and the barriers to social equality that remain for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Many people were relieved and even rejoiced in these decisions that promoted social equity to varying degrees.

More than 100 nurses, patients, community leaders, and elected officials turned out for a NYSNA speak out in July to stop healthcare cuts in Harlem.

Continuum, the company that runs St. Luke’s Hospital, used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse to eliminate pediatrics and detox units in Harlem. Now Continuum is merging with Mount Sinai — and threatening to eliminate the Level One Trauma Center at St. Luke’s.

New online courses coming soon

Online clinical courses, including certification review courses, will be available soon – at a reduced rate just for NYSNA members! Watch for notification about how to access the courses and receive CE. Some of the courses that will be available include:

NYSNA nurses were all over the news receiving well-deserved recognition for our outstanding work during Hurricane Sandy and in its aftermath. New York City Councilmember Jessica Lappin sponsored a proclamation honoring the nurses of Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital on Roosevelt Island for their valor.