OFNHP is bringing our collective voice to Salem to advocate for the interests of healthcare workers and the people we serve. In the middle our state of emergency, the Oregon Association Health and Hospital Systems (OAHHS) had the hubris to state in an open hearing that it is their intent to attempt to repeal the 2015 RN staffing law. They want to eliminate what limited protections we have for staffing in our hospitals.
This blatant disregard for safety and standards of care in our hospitals cannot be tolerated. OFNHP is working in coalition with ONA and SEIU on a hospital and home health staffing law that includes Tech’s, PRO’s, and Service staff in addition to better protections for RN’s. We know that it takes a team to provide care for patients, and we believe that all our members who provide care in these arenas should have a voice in how the facilities they work in are staffed.
OFNHP is spearheading several legislative efforts in addition to this hospital and home health staffing law. We are pursuing a bill for paycheck protection - which will limit the amount of time that an employer can pursue employees for erroneous overpayment. We have also obtained sponsorship for our bill on Licensure of Healthcare Administrators.
This concept is based on the notion that healthcare providers require a license to practice, and so should the people who are responsible for making sure we have the resources we need to provide adequate care. In addition to our own legislative agenda, we will also be working with our lobbyist to monitor legislation that may impact our members.