House Bill 1874 Would Save Lives, Address Nursing Shortage and Create Jobs.
Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, September 26, 2011 

This morning, State Representatives Phyllis Mundy (D-120) and Deberah Kula (D-52) joined together to introduce a nurse-to-patient ratios bill in the Pennsylvania State House. This bill, modeled on California’s extremely successful 1999 law, would amend the Health Care Facilities Act to establish life-saving minimum nurse-to-patient ratios throughout the hospital. Many scientific studies have shown that RN ratios both improve patient safety and reduce overall labor costs ... Nurse-to-Patient

FierceHealthcare, August 9, 2011 Staffing shortages aren't simply headaches for the medical staff. Staffing levels that can't meet demand can cause strikes and, even worse, patient deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Health called out Carlisle Regional Medical Center for dangerously low staffing numbers that may have led to two patient deaths, reports The Patriot-News. The investigation found that the emergency department services did not meet "acceptable standards of practice" for two serious events, according to the state report. One patient died while being scanned without a nurse present. ... Nurse

Mary Pickels, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, August 1, 2011 Days after announcing plans to cut wages for about 12 percent of nurses at its three hospitals, Excela Health said it will increase its full-time nursing staff by as many as 75 positions. Last week, Excela Health said wage cuts would affect 149 nurses in its Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant hospitals who work on a day-to-day, or per diem, basis in an effort to cut costs and better align its nursing staff to meet hospital needs. Late Saturday, a news release stated Excela's plans to hire as many as 24 new full-time nurses at the three facilities. Excela also has budgeted a 2 percent salary increase ... Excela

Kris B. Mamula, Pittsburgh Business Times, August 1, 2011

Citing anticipated growth in cardiology and bariatric services, Greensburg-based Excela Health announced on Monday that it would add 16 doctors in 2012 plus create 24 immediate openings for full-time nurses.

Alex Nixon & Joe Napsha, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 30, 2011 Excela Health plans to cut wages for about 12 percent of nurses at its three hospitals in an effort to reduce costs and better align its nursing staff to hospital needs, the Greensburg-based hospital system said. The wage cuts will affect 149 nurses at Excela Health's Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt. Pleasant hospitals who work on a day-to-day, or per diem, basis, depending on hospital staffing needs. The decrease will take effect on September 4, Excela Health officials said. ... Excela

Associated Press, July 13, 2011 Upper Chichester - Crozer Chester Nurses Association ratified a three-year contract with the Crozer-Keystone Health System on Tuesday by a vote of 343-89. “Twenty-four hours a day, nurses at Crozer perform highly skilled, life-saving work often under very challenging conditions,” Bill Cruice said. “We are gratified that we have been able to reach an agreement that recognizes the nurses’ vital contribution to the community.” Cruice was the lead negotiator and the executive director of the Professional Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals ... Hospital

John George, Philadelphia Business Journal, July 13, 2011

The 700 registered nurses at Crozer-Chester Medical Center approved a new three-year agreement Tuesday by a vote of 343-to-90.

The nurses at the Upland, Pennsylvania, hospital are represented by Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals.

The deal has no across-the-board wage increase this year, then a 2 percent increase in 2012 and a 2.5 increase in 2013 - along with experience-based increases for all three years. On average, according to PASNAP, nurses will receive about 10.5 percent in overall wage increases over the three-year contract.

Shannon McDonald, Newsworks.org, July 13, 2011 Crozer Chester Medical Center has ratified an agreement with its 700 nurses union employees.

After four meetings yesterday, both sides voted to approve a three-year agreement following the union's authorization of a strike in May.

A key issue for nurses was the nurse-to-patient staffing ratio, and one of the highlights of the new agreement includes a regular review of staffing concerns. Crozer will be required to respond in writing to each suggestion from the Staffing and Professional Development Committee. ... Crozer

Associated Press, July 11, 2011 Representatives for Crozer-Chester Nurses Association and Crozer-Keystone Health System reached a tentative contract agreement early Sunday evening. The union, which is part of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, also known as PASNAP, represents about 700 registered nurses at Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland. Their previous three-year contract expired June 8. Kathy Scullin, vice president of marketing for Crozer-Keystone, said at about 5:30 PM Sunday, “Crozer-Chester Medical Center and PASNAP have reached a tentative agreement.

Associated Press, July 8, 2011 Representatives for the 700-member Crozer Chester Nurses Association and the Crozer-Keystone Health System met before a federal mediator Thursday and spent most of the day in discussions. However, no agreement was reached and no strike notice had been issued. The talks broke off late Thursday night. Another meeting has been scheduled for July 27. Recently, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals mailed out a flier that offered the telephone number of Crozer CEO Patrick Gavin and asked receivers to call him and tell him to listen to the nurses. ... Crozer-Keystone

Kathleen E. Carey, Delaware County Daily Times, June 8, 2011 Crozer-Chester Medical Center nurses and administrators decided to continue talks until next week as no agreement was reached and the union’s strike notice was not issued Tuesday. “We are just ending today’s session,” Bill Cruice, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, said at 5:20 PM. “We did not reach an agreement and we have a tentative date to get back together next Tuesday.” PASNAP is the parent union of the 700-member Crozer-Chester Nurses Association. ... Crozer

Carolyn Beeler, Newsworks.org, June 7, 2011 As their contracts with Crozer-Chester Medical Center expire Wednesday, 700 nurses at the Chester, Pennsylvania, hospital are considering a strike. They have authorized their union to give a 10-day notice of intent to strike if negotiations stall, though they say they will work without a contract if good-faith bargaining efforts extend past the deadline. Mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios are at issue. The nurses union wants no more than two patients per nurse in intensive care, and no more than five on a standard surgical unit. The state average is about five and a half patients per nurse. ... Crozer-Chester

Union Pact Reps say key to accord was removing clause that would let CHS change contract terms without collective bargaining. Matt Hughes, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, May 5, 2011 Wilkes-Barre – Though it took two years to negotiate, unionized nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital said they had to give up very little and made significant gains in their new contract with hospital operator Community Health Systems Inc. “What we achieved in the contract really keeps Wilkes-Barre General nurses at some of the highest standards for nurses in the region,” said Terry Marcavage, Northeastern Pennsylvania Staff Representative for PASNAP. ... General

After two years with no pact, agreement is forged with Community Health Systems. Matt Hughes, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, May 4, 2011 Wilkes-Barre – For the first time in two years union nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital will have a new contract. Members of the Wyoming Valley Nurses Association/PASNAP union voted Tuesday to accept a collective-bargaining agreement forged with the hospital’s management Saturday, just hours before nurses were set to walk out in a planned 24-hour strike. “We are proud that we reached a resolution,” president of the nurses union and General employee Fran Prusinski said. ... General

Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice, May 4, 2011 Nurses and the owner of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital have agreed to a new contract, after the union members approved a tentative contract on Tuesday night, according to press release from the union. "Community Health Systems bought our hospital in 2009 with the intention of breaking our union and putting their profits before out patients. What they got instead was a bolder, stronger union membership that will continue to advocate for our patients and our community," said Fran Prusinski, a critical care nurse and president of the local union, according to the release. ... W-B