Majority of council opposes nurse

Aug 29, 2023

Warren City Council has weighed into the dispute over a bill in the General Assembly that would set nurse-to-patient ratios in the hospital setting.

A majority of council approved a letter to be sent to each state senator, laying out the city’s opposition to the bill. The bill, HB 106, cleared the state House in late June. The bill would set ratios depending on the acuity of patients in a given unit.

It was referred to the Health Committee on April 28, with more than 100 co-sponsors, or a majority of the members of the House. The legislation outlines specific ratios for many types of hospital units – one nurse to one patient in the operating room, one-to-two in an ICU and one-to-four in an ER, for example. It also outlines a procedure for where hospitals can be fined for not complying with the statute.

The letter the council considered addressed areas of personnel, financial impact, population concerns and community impact and concluded by claiming that “it is perversely counterintuitive to invoke mandates with the stated intent of increasing the level of patient care when, in fact, there is a high probability that such mandates will lead to the shuttering of hospitals and the removal of any level of medical care within impacted rural communities.”

Mayor David Wortman said during this week’s council meeting that he met with Warren General Hospital and “discussed this issue in particular.”

“What I do want to point out,” Wortman said, “Warren General Hospital is crucial to not only the city but the county…. This bill as it’s proposed has the very real possibility of having a serious negative impact on Warren General Hospital.”

Councilwoman Wendy McCain asked if the ratios are different for rural and city hospitals.

“The bill is uniform,” Councilman John Wortman said.

“The purpose of the bill is patient safety,” McCain said.

“That’s what they’re calling it,” Mayor Wortman added. “My take… if you believe a top-down mandated system… is effective health care….”

McCain said it’s possible to pull documents to see what CEOs and top-level hospital staff are paid. She said maybe nurses could be paid better.

Councilman Phil Gilbert asked if it would be possible to have his name removed from the letter.

“I can’t confidently stand behind this letter,” he said. “I researched the other side of the aisle.”

He said that nursing groups representing over 100,000 nurses support the provision.

“I don’t know what to believe,” he said. “I can’t stand behind it.”

Mayor Wortman pointed out his is the only name on the letter but McCain says that “when it says council, it implies… that I agreed with it when I don’t.”

Ultimately, council settled on only including the names of the individuals who supported the letter.

When the letter was brought up for a vote to be sent to all members of the state Senate, McCain and Gilbert voted no.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Sale of the former Pleasant Township Elementary School is pending.The announcement was made at the Monday ...

HATFIELD, Pa. (AP) — A man who allegedly trafficked "ghost guns" and silencers he assembled at his ...

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Senate reconvened Wednesday for an unusual August ...