Tag Archives: Linda Hamilton

MNA Statement of Support for Attorney General Lori Swanson

8 May

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ST. PAUL (May 8, 2012) – The President of the Minnesota Nurses Association issued an official statement of support today for Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and her ongoing investigation of Accretive Health.

“On behalf of our 20,000 nurses, I want to thank Lori Swanson for ignoring political pressure and corporate influence and continuing to stand up for the patients we care for,” Hamilton said. “What Accretive is doing seems to be the epitome of the ‘profits-before-patients’ type of health care delivery that needs to stop, and we’re grateful Attorney General Swanson is having none of it.”

Earlier today, news reports detailed how Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made the unusual move of publicly pressuring Attorney General Swanson’s office to “back off” its ongoing investigation of Accretive, which began in April 2012. Swanson’s office recently released a six-volume report detailing how Accretive employees allegedly pressured and harassed vulnerable patients and their families for payments before, during and after receiving Emergency Room care, cancer treatments other medical services inside Twin Cities hospitals.

“The fact that Accretive has moved to brazenly and openly using powerful politicians like Mayor Emanuel to try and interfere on its behalf in a criminal investigation outside of his city and state is hard to fathom,” Hamilton said. “We’re proud to see Attorney General Swanson standing her ground and speaking up for the Minnesota patients and families who suffered during these alleged incidents. She’s a true champion for our patients.”

Founded in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents more than 20,000 nurses in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. MNA is also a founding member of National Nurses United, which represents more than 170,000 RNs across the country.

MinnPost Gives Nod to MNA Nurses’ Efforts

19 Apr

Some nice recognition in MinnPost this week of the key work MNA RNs and other health care workers did behind the scenes to help this important legislation pass!

Here’s the item: 

Intentional abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult can be charged as a felony in Minnesota, now that Gov. Mark Dayton signed a bill passed with bipartisan support.

Previously, such crimes often perpetrated against elderly victims were treated at most as gross misdemeanors with no prison time.

With all the highly charged partisan activity abounding in this year’s session, the governor made a big point of stressing that both Republicans and DFLers voted for the bill, and he appeared with a bipartisan group at the official signing.

Reports of caregivers depriving a vulnerable adult of food, shelter, supervision, clothing or health care led to the legislative efforts.

Lawmakers worked with health care workers and the nurses union to craft the law. A blog from the Minnesota Nurses Association said:

The compromise was an effort between all parties to protect the rights of workers in cases of understaffing, while giving the county attorney the right to charge someone who intends to neglect a vulnerable adult with a felony as opposed to a gross misdemeanor.

The bill signed by Dayton also increases penalties for those who use restraints to harm a child. It was included in the bill following reports of a case where a child was chained to a bed every night, but the parents could only be charged with a misdemeanor.

MNA Nurses Help Make History With Vulnerable Adult Legislation

17 Apr

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, Minnesota Nurses Association, 651-414-2863 or john.nemo@mnnurses.org

ST. PAUL (April 18, 2011) – MNA nurses helped make history this week, as Minnesota became the first state to declare criminal neglect of a vulnerable adult a felony while also protecting the rights of healthcare workers.

“I’m so proud of our nurses and the other healthcare workers who stood up, spoke out and made sure our most vulnerable patients are better protected,” said Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) President Linda Hamilton, RN. “This bill was truly a bipartisan and cooperative effort, and a great example of how legislators can reach across the aisle to work together and improve the lives of the people they are elected to represent.”

Gov. Mark Dayton will sign the bill, SF1586, Criminal Felony Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult, into law at 10 a.m. Wednesday inside the State Capitol.

MNA nurses worked closely this winter and spring with Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, Health and Human Services Reform Chair Steve Gottwalt, other health care unions and long term care facilities to come to a compromise over strengthening the punishment for those guilty of criminally neglecting a vulnerable adult. The compromise was an effort between all parties to protect the rights of workers in cases of understaffing, while giving the county attorney the right to charge someone who intends to neglect a vulnerable adult with a felony as opposed to a gross misdemeanor. Minnesota is the first state to make this crime a felony while protecting the rights of the workers.

Founded in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents more than 20,000 nurses in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. It is also a founding member of National Nurses United, which represents more than 170,000 RNs across the United States.

MNA Legislative Update: National Nurse Licensure Compact Bill

6 Mar

MNA and NNU RNs turned out last night to testify in opposition to the proposed National Nurse Licensure bill.

Act Now:  Contact your legislator through MNA’s Grassroots Action Center

Last night the Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard the National Nurse Licensure Compact Bill. In 2011, Gov. Mark Dayton removed or vetoed the National Nurse Licensure Compact language from the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill. When asked “What’s different this year? What concerns of the Governor’s have been resolved?” the chief author, Senator Chris Gerlach (R) from Apple Valley, responded by stating there are more supporters this year. At first glance, one can tell that the growing number of supporters is corporations as this would make it possible for corporations to bring in nurses from other states who have differing, or lower standards for nursing care than Minnesota nurses.

The Minnesota Nurses Association opposes the National Nurse Licensure Compact because:

  • It will offer Minnesota nursing jobs to non-Minnesota nurses.
  • It forces Minnesota to relinquish local control of nursing practice to an appointed National Board of compact administrators.
  • It puts patients safety at risk in multiple ways.

MNA President Linda Hamilton, Vice President Bunny Engeldorf and NNU President Jean Ross all testified last night in opposition to this bill.

Minnesota Nurses stand ready and willing to work with the Minnesota Board of Nursing and employers to explore Tele-health/Tele-nursing issues to address patient continuity of care. However, MNA nurses remain firm in their belief that National Nurse Licensure is NOT the answer for Minnesota.

The committee voted and passed the bill out of committee on a party line vote. The bill now moves to Senate Finance. If the bill moves to the Senate floor you will be contacted to call your legislator and ask them to vote “no” to protect Minnesota jobs, our state’s rights and to protect patient safety.

Finally, the audio/video archived hearing information and link with be posted as it becomes available. Stay tuned to the MNA Blog for more updates!

Urgent: Scope of Practice Alert for Nurses

20 Dec

Action Needed Before Dec. 23!

A special note from MNA President Linda Hamilton:

MNA President Linda Hamilton

Contact CMS on Proposed Rule Changes: START HERE  or tell others to go to www.mnnurses.org/CMS

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has proposed changes to rules regarding hospitals that will severely impact Nursing Practice. Read a partial list below. Read the whole document on the CMS website.

Billed as changes to “lift burdensome and duplicative regulations,” many of these changes represent a real threat to the autonomous practice and patient advocacy role of Registered Nurses. In developing these proposals, CMS obviously chose to accept blindly the anecdotal examples of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

No attempt was made by CMS to reach out to organizations that represent registered nurses in these settings so that direct care/front line RNs could participate in the consultative stage of these proposed changes.

Imagine how drastically your nursing practice would change for the worse if your patients’ caregivers or family members were allowed to give them medications in the hospital? That is just one of many recent changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as conditions of participation.

I, along with our colleagues across the nation of National Nurses United are very concerned about this potential assault on our practice. NNU has submitted a formal organizational response (read it here)

I also urge individual MNA members to submit comments before the deadline.  Click on this link to submit your own comments on these egregious proposed changes

Forward this memo to colleagues, or tell them to visit www.mnnurses.org/cms.

The Deadline for comments is: 5 pm EST, December 23, 2011.

Thanks for your continued support,
Linda Hamilton, RN President, Minnesota Nurses Association and Vice President, National Nurses United 

MNA President Linda Hamilton Wins “2011 Labor Leader Award”

15 Dec

MNA President Linda Hamilton was honored this week, winning the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s 2011 Labor Leader Award. The award is “in appreciation of tireless efforts and experienced leadership that has greatly benefitted the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation.” It is the first year the award has been given out.

“Everyone in this room knows the success the nurses have had in raising the public’s awareness of the need to address unsafe staffing levels in our hospitals,” said SPRLF President Bobby Kasper. “The MNA made safe staffing a focus of their contract campaign two years ago, and they continue to fight for their members at the Capitol, where everybody knows the MNA means business! Linda Hamilton also understands the importance of unions working together, that an injury to one really is an injury to all. That’s why she is a tireless advocate for the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation.”

Congratulations, President Hamilton!

MNA President Linda Hamilton

Press Release: MNA President Linda Hamilton Re-Elected

14 Oct

MNA President Linda Hamilton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, 651-414-2863

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (October 14, 2011) – Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN, has been elected to a second consecutive two-year term as the President of the Minnesota Nurses Association.

“Serving as President of MNA has been my passion and privilege, and I am honored and delighted to continue serving our membership,” said Hamilton, who has been MNA’s President since 2009. “Relationships are the key to democracy and MNA’s future. I will continue to build solidarity through collective action with nurses, politicians, faith, labor and community leaders to ensure our nurses’ voices are heard. Our core mission of advocacy for patients, nursing practice and workplace rights is dependent on these connections.”

In addition to Hamilton, MNA members were also elected for the following leadership positions:

  • President: Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN
  • 1st Vice President: Bernadine Engeldorf, RN, BS
  • 2nd Vice President: Robert Pandiscio, RN
  • Secretary: Barb Martin, RN, BSN, BSE
  • Treasurer: Pam Scott, RN
  • Directors: Lori Christian, RN, BS, CEN, Pat Dwyer, RN, BSN, CRRN, Cindy Prout, RN, Linda Rossow, RN, BC, Eric Tronnes, RN, Mary Turner, RN, Pat Webster, RN

The MNA President, Vice Presidents and Board of Directors all serve a two-year term. Election winners will be officially be sworn in on October 19 during MNA’s Annual Convention – held this year at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Paul.

Formed in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents more than 20,000 nurses in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. MNA is also a founding member of National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of Registered Nurses, which represents 170,000 RNs across the United States.

Why the Main Street Contract? Why OccupyMN? Why Occupy Wall Street? Here’s Why!

12 Oct

Below is a great explanation from NNU President Jean Ross and MNA President Linda Hamilton answering the “why” question behind MNA and NNU’s involvement in the Main Street Contract and OccupyMN/Occupy Wall Street efforts. This video was taken at the OccupyMN protests in Minneapolis this week:

Video: MNA President Linda Hamilton interviewed at the 2011 Minnesota State Fair

9 Sep

MNA in D.C. – 2011 SNA Roundup

9 Jun

Below is a roundup of all the Social and Mainstream Media coverage of the 2011 Staff Nurse Assembly June 5-7 in Washington, D.C. Nearly 100 MNA RNs joined NNU nurses from 31 other states for three days as we advocated for our patients and our profession!

Social Media/Online Coverage

Mainstream Media Coverage

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