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Yes…The Needlestick
Injury Prevention bill...is now LAW
Governor A. Paul
Cellucci has signed "An Act Relative to Needlestick Injury Prevention"
into law in Massachusetts. All employees of acute and non-acute licensed
hospitals in this Commonwealth will now benefit from the mandated use
of the most safe technologies and the information that comes from "shared data"
and quality assurance measures. This legislation was the most difficult
type of its kind to pass, as this law affects the private sector. There
have been national debates that only the public sector can be regulated by state
law and in those states which do not have their own state OSHA Agency, that
is typically what has passed. This Massachusetts law is most like the
law passed in New Jersey a year ago. The commonwealth's hospitals
have been the most compliant even, without law, since they have individual "purchasing"
power. Members from Unit 7 – our state employees – tell us that some their
institutions have had the most safe devices for years!
Thanks must be
extended to: former MNA president, Karen Daley, for her tremendous courage;
Rep. Christine Canavan, RN for her incredible leadership in the face of daunting
negative odds, Sen. Mark Montigny for his unyielding support, Rep. Paul Haley
(Chair House Ways and Means) for his committed follow through, to state house
legislative staff for their diligence, MNA staffe member Evie Bain, RN for her
expertise in occupational safety and health; to numerous MNA members and staff
who actively supported this legislation either through advisory committee work,
testimony, communiques… to ANA and Sue Wilburn for their critical assistance
with national research, to Celia Wicslo and SEIU for her/their commitment to
all health care workers and Stacey Ober for her incredible legal analysis and
unending determination to succeed.
Click
here to view the text of the new law.
You should know
that in this session alone (1999-2000) the MNA has secured:
- A new
Health Care Whistle Blower Law!
- The first
State Wide Sexual Assault Nurses Examiner Program in the entire Country!
- A new
Needlestick Injury Prevention Law!
- An MNA "seat"
at the Tobacco Settlement Commission – for the next 25 years. This Commission
will advise the state regarding the investment and distribution of the over
4 billion dollars that will be received by Massachusetts because of the
multi- state tobacco settlement. Massachusetts is one of only 3 states
where nursing has such an appointment!
- Over $20
million new dollars for school nursing services
- Increased funding
for Hepatitis C education and Hepatitis B vaccines for state employees
- Retention of
the provider status for Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialists in the
Harvard Pilgrim Crisis
- First ever
Hearing before the Joint Committee on Government Regulations on proposed regulations
- Dramatic,
positive changes in the Board of Registration in Nursing newly proposed regulations
- Passage of
a new law which establishes and gives power to the state wide Nursing
Commission.
The MNA is an extremely
powerful political force with many accomplishment of which to be proud.
Special Thanks to Gloria Craven and Stacey Ober, members of the MNA Congress on
Health Policy and Legislation, NursePLAN, the MNA Rapid Respose Network; and to
the good, hard, exhaustive work of the nurses at the bedside, and other sections
of the profession, who contibuted their ideas and lobbying efforts!
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