October 19, 2007 |
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SUPPORT THE STRIKING ARH RNS
MNF ANNOUNCES 2007 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD ON SCHIP
GO TO SCHOOL WITH UAN'S HELP
NEW MRSA REPORT CAPTURES NATION'S ATTENTION
If you are having difficulty reading this version of NurseLine or accessing the links, go to www.minurses.org.
SUPPORT THE STRIKING ARH RNS
800 UAN RNs at the Appalachian Regional Hospitals (ARH) in Kentucky and West Virginia have been on strike now for 2 ½ weeks. ARH has 9 facilities in the two states (most of the facilities are in Kentucky). The strike issues center on patient care: staffing and mandatory overtime. In addition, the nurses are seeking no concessions in pension and healthcare benefits. Monies are being distributed equally to the local units for food, medicine, etc. on an as-needed basis, with guidelines for usage of the money determined by the local units. Says ARH-Harlan President Sarah Hunley, RN: “I cannot begin to thank all of the states for their support. The response is overwhelming and humbling. I have never been as proud of my profession as I am today. We are fighting a giant (ARH) and need all of our union sisters and brothers. We ask that you keep us in your prayers.”
MNA has sent a $5,000 donation ($2,500 to each state nurses association) and encourages all members and friends to support the nurses with funds and letters of support. Donations with checks can be made payable to the state nurses associations and designated for the strike fund (please note that nurses in the hospital system are represented by two affiliates across two states), to:
Kentucky Nurses Association
ATTN: Labor Program Director Dewey Parker
1400 South First St
Louisville, KY 40208
West Virginia Nurses Association
ATTN: E and GW Chair Rue Hairston, RN
PO Box 1946
Charleston, WV 25327
United Mine Workers of America International Letter of Support
Media Coverage (you'll also note a few items a little closer to home regarding the Detroit Medical Center RNs organizing campaign)
MNF ANNOUNCES 2007 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
The Michigan Nurses Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 scholarships: Jean Jones, a student at Kalamazoo Valley Community College: Kimberly Kurzeja, a student at the University of Michigan; Beata Byrum, a student at Michigan State University; and Elsie Osbeck, a student at Western Michigan University. Congratulations to all the recipients!
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD ON SCHIP
On Thursday of this week, the House of Representatives failed to produce enough votes to override President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) bill. The final vote was 273 to 156, which was 13 votes short of the number needed to overturn the veto. The work now begins anew to find a plan that the Senate, the House and the President can agree upon. To read the latest media reports, bookmark the Cover the Uninsured Press Room.
GO TO SCHOOL WITH UAN'S HELP
The Fall 2007 UAN Labor Education Scholarship Application period is underway. The deadline for applying for a UAN Labor Education Scholarship is November 15, 2007, and awards will be announced by December 14, 2007. Complete application materials and scholarship guidelines are available on the UAN website at or click on the labor education button on the right side of the home page.
NEW MRSA REPORT CAPTURES NATION'S ATTENTION
A new report released this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the high occurrence of MRSA infections has received a great deal of media attention. In a nutshell, the report stated, "Methicillin–resistant staph aureus (MRSA) caused more than 94,000 life–threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, most of them associated with health care settings." There is an excellent overview of MRSA here. There is also a special section for health care providers on the CDC website that offers fact sheets, educational materials and more. This is significant information for everyone involved clinical care, so take time to read through the information!
Be sure to check out the MNA Events Calendar for all upcoming events and activities!