HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2017.05.10 - 22913MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION 1/ 17 1 20
BY: Commissioner David Woodward, District #19
IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — IN SUPPORT OF SAFE STAFFING LEVELS OF NURSES AT
TENET DMC HURON VALLEY — SINAI HOSPITAL
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS Nurses are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce and those who provide the most
direct and continuous skilled care to people of every age; and
WHEREAS every resident of Oakland County deserves the highest quality of nursing care while
hospitalized; and
WHEREAS dozens of objective, scientific studies provide evidence of the link between inadequate
staffing levels of Registered Nurses and increased adverse outcomes for hospital patients; and
WHEREAS massive reductions in nursing budgets have resulted in fewer nurses, and more nurses
working longer hours and caring for sicker patients; and
WHEREAS the perceived practice of short staffing registered nurses to squeeze out extra profit by the
Tenet DMC Huron Valley — Sinai Hospital is a business practice that compromises health care by creating
an environment that exacerbates the nurses ability to care for Oakland County patients and drives nurses
from the bedside; and
WHEREAS Hospitals with low nurse staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes
such as pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, and urinary tract infections, according to research funded by
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and others; and
WHEREAS Nurses at Tenet DMC Huron Valley — Sinai Hospital have reported significant concerns
regarding staffing levels at their facility, which thousands of Oakland County residents depend on for
care; and
WHEREAS furthermore, research has shown when there are more RNs, there are shorter lengths of stay
and fewer complications with resultant reduced costs; and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Board of Commissioners would urge the Tenet DMC Huron Valley —
Sinai Hospital to implement a system that ensures the hospital will be staffed with an appropriate number
of Registered Nurses to ensure patient safety and suggests reporting of nurse staffing levels, patient mix
and outcomes as an important method to ensuring compliance with standards and promoting
transparency in operations.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby
supports the nurses at Tenet DMC Huron Valley — Sinai Hospital in their pursuit of safe RN staffing levels
and calls on the hospital's Chief Executive Officer to come before this body to address nurse staffing
issues at the hospital.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds is requested to forward
copies of this adopted resolution to the Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human
Services, the members of the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, the Michigan
Nurses Association, the Chief Executive Officer of the DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital and the Chief
utive Officer of Tenet Healthcare.
erson, I move the wloption of the foregoing Resolution.
ommissiol.ter DMid Woodward
District #19
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Resolution #17120 May 10, 2017
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the General Government Committee. There were no
objections.