Things moved at a slow pace during last week’s oppressive heat wave and mid-week Independence Day holiday. But MHA continued its focus on key priorities, including:
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finalizing its recommendations to the House/Senate conference committee that is working to achieve a consensus approach to omnibus healthcare legislation;
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weighing in with the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on the success of Massachusetts’ Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program, and how the federal government and other states can learn from the Massachusetts experience; and
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reviewing the ever-increasing data that demonstrates the danger of government-mandated nurse staffing ratios that will
cost the Massachusetts healthcare system $1.31 billion in the first year alone.
Massachusetts hospitals, of course, didn’t alter their 24/7 mission a bit due to weather or holidays. They were on high alert during the July 4 holidays, especially in and around Boston where close to 500,000 were estimated to have watched the fireworks and Boston Pops concert from both sides of the Charles River. DPH reported that on July 4, 99 people were seen at 11 medical tents (8 in Boston; 3 in Cambridge) but only one person was transported to a Boston hospital.
What follows are just some items from MHA member hospitals across the state that occurred in recent weeks.