Sunday, March 29, 2015

Workplace safety, Healthcare Associated Infections


Deborah Burger, R.N.                                            March 29, 2015

Co-President

California Nurses Association

2000 Franklin Street

Oakland, CA 94612

 

Re: Workplace safety, Healthcare Associated Infections

Dear Ms. Burger,

 Thank you and your entire staff and membership of the California Nurses Association(CNA) for all that you do for others, especially our Veteran’s, I really appreciate it!

 As a pro-bono advocate for the prevention of Healthcare Associated Infections(HAI) in our Veteran’s Hospitals I signed your petition to support the California Nurses Association effort to gain proper protection for healthcare workers concerning Ebola protection nationwide.


Ebola is no longer in the headlines, last week I heard our local hospital board discuss the catastrophic consequences here in California of a reported(negative) Ebola case , perhaps some of the panic could have been alleviated should the proper protection been available?  

 As a pro-bono advocate for the prevention of HAI in our Veteran’s Hospitals I supported the successful organizing of our local Veteran’s Hospital, the impact of a collective voice should improve the situation in my humble opinion.

 


Also, the correlation of patient to R.N. has not escaped the attention of my advocacy, thank you for that as well.


Much like Ebola, in my humble opinion, HAI does not make the headlines very often, unlike Ebola, HAI , a preventable set of diseases, will needlessly cost thousands here in the state of California their life or limb this year, next year and every year after should it remain an acceptable cost of poor and very dangerous practices at our healthcare facilities, some of which in understaffing.

 How to help our Veterans, awareness is the key, the Association of Critical Care Nurses has set the standard for websites and focus.


The California Department of Public Health(CDPH), at times, has been an industry leader, supporter and resource for the prevention of HAI and your link to it included in your RN resource page is much appreciated. The  Honorable Governor has also commented on the catastrophic fiscal damage caused by HAI but unfortunately the lack of input concerning the resent HAI outbreak at U.C.L.A. medical highlighted the conflict of interest between the UC medical system and the CDPH. In my humble opinion, the CDPH is responsible for the prevention of preventable diseases, not protecting state assets, There efforts concerning the prevention of HAI have been dormant for a while now and I believe the CAN membership may well pay a price for their dormancy on the issue.


 As noted, the CNA is pushing for positive change in our healthcare system and hopefully   you will continue to do so and should the CNA take a leadership role in the prevention of HAI, as a veteran, a rate payer and a tax payer, I would appreciate it very much, once again, “thank you”!

Best regards,

Michael H. Slavinski  

 

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