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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Representative Tobin and Senator Moore release UMass Medical School’s report on nursing workforce issues

BOSTON, August 31, 2005 – Today, Representative A. Stephen Tobin (D-Quincy) and Senator Richard T. Moore (D Uxbridge) Co-Chairs of the Special Commission on Nursing Workforce Issues released a report produced by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. 

At the suggestion of Senator Harriette Chandler (D-Worcester), the co-chairs contacted UMASS Medical School-Division of Commonwealth Medicine to analyze the two major legislative proposals before the committee (SB 1260 and HB 2663). The executive summary and conclusion presented to you today is the first of a two part report based on the research by a team of academics from UMASS-Worcester’s Center for Health Policy and Research, UMASS School of Nursing, UMASS School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. 

The full report given to the committee provides:

  • A summary of the findings from the health care literature on three aspects of mandatory nurse-patient staffing ratios; 1) Quality of patient care, 2) Cost of and access to care and 3) Nursing labor market.
  • A comparison of the two bills.
  • A discussion of the high-level policy implications with respect to benefits and risks associated with HB 2663 and SB 1260.
In addition, the co-chairs have included a copy of the letter sent to the committee and contact information for each member of the committee.

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