Nashoba Valley Chamber Opposes Nurse Staffing Ballot Question

The Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce today joined the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety in opposition to the proposed nurse staffing ballot question. The Chamber’s members include Clinton Hospital, Nashoba Valley Medical Center, TaraVista Behavioral Health Center, and UMass Memorial–Health Alliance Hospital along with numerous eldercare centers, rehabilitation facilities, and doctor’s offices.

“Families across Massachusetts struggle to pay for health care,” stated Melissa Fetterhoff, President & CEO of the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce. “This initiative threatens the vitality of Nashoba Valley Medical Center, as well as Nashoba’s smaller doctor’s offices and healthcare facilities that so many residents rely on.”
The ballot question, proposed by the Massachusetts nurses’ union, which represents less than a quarter of nurses in the Commonwealth, would require that hospitals across the state, no matter their size or specific needs of their patients, adhere to the same rigid nurse staffing ratios within all patient care areas. The petition does not make allowances for rural or small community hospitals, holding them to the same staffing ratios as major Boston teaching hospitals.

“Looking at this year’s winter season and currently working in today’s flu epidemic, we are confident that if this ballot question were passed, it would be catastrophic,” said Sal Perla, DrPH, President and CEO at Nashoba Valley Medical Center. “Consequences such as 5-10 hour wait times in the local ER’s would be the norm, which would put patients at risk. Financial restraints to the health system could include closure to programs that are meaningful but may not generate the revenue to support its presence such as critical diabetes and cardiology education programs.”

This measure would cost more than $800 million each year, and those costs will be felt across the healthcare system. Patients would feel it in the form of higher insurance costs and taxes at a time when many Massachusetts families are already struggling. Hospitals will be forced to cut vital health programs, such as cancer screenings, opioid treatments, mental health services, early childhood intervention, domestic violence programs and pre- or post- natal care.

“There are no scientific studies or reports that demonstrate the effectiveness of government mandated, one-size-fits-all nurse staffing ratio for improving quality of care, patient outcomes or professional nursing practice.” said Donna Glynn, President-Elect of the American Nurses Association and a Nurse Scientist for the VA Boston Healthcare System. “In fact, no studies evaluating nurse staffing ratios reported a magic number as the single factor to affect patient outcomes or job satisfaction. This ballot question is ignoring scientific fact around what is best for nursing practice, decision making and quality patient care.”

The Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce serves over 400 businesses in the Nashoba Valley region, and serves as an advocate for the community to support businesses, stimulate economic development, and improve quality of life in the region.

The Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce joins the American Nurses Association Massachusetts, the Organization of Nurse Leaders, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Council of Community Hospitals, the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, and other healthcare and business leaders in protecting the state’s healthcare system and its patients from the consequences of this rigid, costly mandate that is expected to be placed before voters in the November 2018 election.

Learn more about the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety at www.protectpatientsafety.com, www.Facebook.com/ProtectPatientSafety and www.Twitter.com/MAPatientSafety.