Posted: | January 20, 2017 10:00 AM |
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From: | Representative Jim Marshall |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Transparency |
I will re- introduce legislation (HB 2244) that would bring transparency to the staffing of direct patient care workers in Pennsylvania hospitals. The non-partisan Joint State Government Commission published a report under the direction of HR 920 of 2014, studying the state of bedside nursing in Pennsylvania and outlining the adverse effects of short-staffing, including increased rates of hospital-acquired infections, readmissions, and mortality. The report recommended the implementation of public reporting of hospital staffing in order to create a market-based incentive for hospitals to improve staffing, stating:
My bill would require the public reporting of staffing levels for Registered Nurses (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), nursing assistants, and other unlicensed personnel responsible for direct patient care, as well as other key metrics, such as the number of patients under the care of a given nurse or direct care worker, that are indicative of quality of care and health outcomes. Reports for each hospital would be compiled by the Department of Health and published online quarterly, so that consumers and direct care workers may easily access comparative information and make more informed choices on where to seek care or employment. By creating an environment for hospitals to compete for patients based on quality of care, transparency in staffing can help to bring cost-effective improvements to the healthcare in our communities. . |
Introduced as HB833