Oregon Legislature Proposed Budget Cuts
NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Fellow ENA Members:

It has come to our attention that the Oregon legislature is considering changes that could make our jobs as emergency nurses more difficult and I am hoping that you will join other emergency nurses in the state voice our concerns.  If you have not heard, the Oregon legislature is proposing healthcare budget cuts that will impact all hospitals in our state (including rural and critical access hospitals).   This current version of the Governors’ and co-chairs budget assumes:

1. A 19% cut in funding this year starting July 1, 2011 and an additional 15% cut in funding starting July 2012 (for a total cut of 34% in year 2 of the biennial budget).
2. Elimination of cost based reimbursement for both type A&B hospitals and taking them to a DRG payment model representing an additional 20% cut from current reimbursement rates.

These large cuts are due to the fact that the current budget places 84 percent of all state agency cuts on the back of Medicaid (Oregon Health Plan). If this bill passes the legislation, these cuts will create an immediate crippling impact on healthcare for the poor. The proposed cuts would dramatically reduce provider reimbursement rates making access to healthcare services much more difficult for low-income Oregonians.
Additionally, it is anticipated that fewer doctors will be willing to take Oregon Health Plan patients. The most likely result will be more low-income Oregonians getting their basic healthcare in community hospital emergency rooms, which are already overwhelmed many days. As Emergency Nurses, we know that this type of episodic care is very expensive and not where people should be getting their ongoing treatment. If this bill passes, we will see more traffic in our emergency room, contributing to already challenging wait times, with the potential of negatively impacting the care we provide.
Globally, these anticipated cuts will have a negative impact on Oregon’s ailing economy. As a result of these cuts, Oregon may lose more than $697 million in federal financial support for healthcare services to the poor (these are the matching funds for what the state spends on Medicaid. (Currently the federal government is covering about two-thirds of the cost).  Budget cuts of this magnitude may force many hospitals to look at job cuts, closures and or elimination of services. The sum of this will impact the present economic crisis the state faces and will impact access to care. 

What can you do? Please take the time to talk with your hospital administration to see what they are doing to influence legislators in your area. Take the time to write an email, letter or call your local representative voicing your concerns. As Emergency Nurses, we will be on the front lines of the effects of this legislation. We need to let the legislators know how these drastic cuts will impact our emergency departments and our hospitals.

This is a list of the Joint Health Care Transformation Committee members

Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson – Co-Chair
sen.lauriemonnesanderson@state.or.us

ep. Tim Freeman – Co-Chair
rep.timfreeman@state.or.us

Rep. Mitch Greenlick – Co-Chair
rep.mitchgreenlick@state.or.us

Sen. Frank Morse – Vice-Chair
sen.frankmorse@state.or.us

Sen. Alan Bates
sen.alanbates@state.or.us

Sen. Jeff Kruse
sen.jeffkruse@state.or.us

Sen. Chip Shields
sen.chipshields@state.or.us

Rep. Tina Kotek
rep.tinakotek@state.or.us

Rep. Jim Thompson
rep.jimthompson@state.or.us

Oregon ENA members are asked to support the 
Oregon Trauma System and EMS for Children Programs

In case you haven’t heard, the Oregon Legislature is considering changes to our state that would affect the delivery of healthcare.  This of course, directly impacts our work as Emergency Nurses.  

Senate Bill 234 will combine time sensitive injuries, stroke, STEMI and trauma into one system under the health authority. There are several amendments that would assure a trauma person is a member of each regional committee.  This is the bill that would expand on the success of the trauma system by adding provisions for stroke and cardiac.
 
The goal would be by combining these systems, the ability to fund and provide support from the State level would be more viable. The trauma system would continue to function as a subset of this model. 

While these changes may not seem significant on the surface, we, as Oregon Emergency Nurses have several concerns:
1)    Trauma could get overshadowed by cardiac and stroke 
And
2)    There is no identified source of funding for this system, thus if passed, would not succeed. 

Senate Bill 234 will be heard in the Senate Health Care, Human Services and Rural Health Policy Committee Monday, March 28th. The hearing begins at 3 PM in the capitol, Hearing Room A. 

In order for SB 234 to move out of committee, there must be testimony in favor of SB234 at this hearing. Once out of this committee, SB 234 can move to the Ways and Means Committee and at that point, funding can then be explored and identified.

For complete information on SB 234, please go to: 
http://www.leg.state.or.us/11reg/measpdf/sb0200.dir/sb0234.intro.pdf

Additionally, Governor Kitzhaber's balanced budget submitted to the Oregon Legislature shows that the Oregon Trauma System and the EMS for Children Program are to be funded with fees rather than general funds.  No fees are identified. It is not possible to fund these programs with fees from the trauma hospitals. It is critical that other revenue sources be identified.

Please show your support for a healthy Oregon Emergency Health Care System by contacting your legislative Representatives and explaining how critical it is to keep the trauma system in place and support the EMS for Children Program.

If you would like to email your government representative:
Senator's email address: sen.firstnamelastname@state.or.us
example: sen.ralphsmith@state.or.us

Representative's email address: rep.firstnamelastname@state.or.us
example: rep.betsyjones@state.or.us

Link to Representative's phone numbers:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/citizenguide/legislator_quickcard.pdf

Your Oregon ENA State Council.
Questions?  Please contact our Government Affairs Representatives:
Ted Raschkes and Susan Walters.  

Ted will be speaking on behalf of the Oregon ENA State Council on March 28th.

The following links will each open in a new window.

• The History of the Oregon Trauma System (PDF)
  
  
• Emergency Nurses Association Government & Advocacy


• HB 2022 Violence Against Healthcare Employees (PDF)


• Previous Proposed Trauma Cutbacks

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