BORN Complaint Committee to Rule on Adams Charges. 
Hearing Set for Feb. 23, 2000
Decision Goes Before Full BORN on March 8th

The Massachusetts Nurses Association, through its Campaign for BORN Reform, continues to exert pressure on the Board of Registration in Nursing and the Cellucci Administration to address the issue of fair treatment and equal accountability for all nurses in the Commonwealth. The BORN Reform Campaign was initiated by a group of concerned MNA members last year in response to a number of actions taken by the BORN including, its introduction of controversial standards of conduct for nurses, its punitive treatment of the Dana Farber Nurses, and its reluctance to hold nurses equally accountable in the Barry Adams complaint. 

In the coming weeks, the nursing community will await a decision by the BORN to hold a long-awaited hearing on the complaint filed by Barry Adams against his former nurse administrator, who fired Adams for attempting to address his concerns about staffing conditions at Youville Health Care in Cambridge. The BORN, whose complaint committee had originally dismissed the key components of Adams' complaint, was moved to reconsider its position after a firestorm of protest and activism by the nursing community and legal initiatives taken by Adams’ legal defense team. 

In November, the BORN announced it had re-opened Adams' entire complaint and postponed action until January.  However, in January, the BORN once again delayed action on the complaint to allow the attorney for the nurse administrator charged with unprofessional conduct and patient neglect in the complaint, to prepare a response to the charge. 

On February 23, 2000 the complaint committee will meet to reconsider the complaint, and will  pass its recommendation for action on to the Board, who will meet on March 8, 2000. A delegation of MNA Reform Campaign Committee members will be attending the hearing on Feb. 23rd to witness the BORN’s actions and decision on this complaint. 

A group of nurses who support Adams in this quest for justice have also established a legal defense fund to provide the legal support needed to carry this case forward.  Nurses and supporters of Adams plight can make contributions to the fund. Click here for information on the Support Barry Adams Legal Fund

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