News & Events

The Cranberry Scoop

Inside this issue:

The Chair’s Message
Stephanie Stevens, RN

“Now, go make me do it!”

That is what President Franklin D. Roosevelt said… and that is what we need to do. Health care has become corrupt in this country and we need to fix it. We, the nurses, know how to do this. We have commissioned the

studies, we have given the legislators and the public the data, we have spoken out…

So what is the answer? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

How do we prevent patient falls? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

How do we prevent hospital acquired infections? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

How do we deliver quality, cost effective care to patients? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

So what is the message we need to deliver? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

We have formed a National Nurses Union….150,000 bedside nurses….the founding convention is taking place December 7th and 8th…What is the message we are taking to Washington? ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

How can each of us help? Remember the message… ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

Repeat it as often as you are able… ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

Chant it! Sing it! Hum it! ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

Now let’s go make them do it! No more excuses! No more platitudes! ITSS!… It’s The Staffing Stupid!

In unity,
Stephanie Stevens RN, Region 3 Chairperson

Region Three 2009 Council Meeting Schedule

Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009

First Half 2010 Council Meeting Schedule

  • Thursday, January 14, 2010
  • Tuesday, February 16, 2010
  • Tuesday, March 16, 2010
  • Tuesday, April 20, 2010
  • Tuesday, May 18, 2010
  • Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Start time is 6PM at the Region 3 office. Members are welcome to attend— please notify the Region 3 office.

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Fall—Winter 2009/10 Region 3 Continuing Education Programs

  • COMPASSION FATIGUE
  • Accepting, Rejecting and Delegating a Work Assignment
  • Infectious Diseases Update: TB & Hepatitis
  • Neurological Complications: Nursing Management

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2nd Annual Holiday Toys For Troops

The Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council and Senator Marc Pacheco are collecting ‘Toys For Troops’ this holiday season. The toys will be distributed to families of local service men and women in the Plymouth-Bristol area who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe and free. You can help by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to the Region 3 office or by making a monetary donation by completing the mail-in form below. Kathy Metzger, Chair of the Signature HealthCare Brockton Hospital Bargaining Unit, has offered to purchase toys for the drive with any monetary donations that we receive.

Download original PDF for Form

What’s t he Scoop?

Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital: Open meeting scheduled for November 24th for discussion and vote on the memorandum of agreement. The agreement comes without the recommendation of the committee. Negotiations have gone on for quite some time and the committee felt the membership should let their voices be heard since progress has been slow at the table. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Metzger RN, Chairperson

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Falmouth Hospital: The Falmouth Hospital Oncology Center closed due to retirement and relocation of the two physicians who serviced the facility. This caused a reduction in force affecting 3 nurses. The proceedings went relatively smoothly although, during the process, we discovered language in the contract that is in need of revision when contract negotiations begin again next summer. We continue to have difficulties with the administration of the new health plan but ultimately they do always cover the costs according to the agreement. Respectfully submitted, Nicky Powderly, Chairperson

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Jordan Hospital: The Endoscopy Unit Reduction in Force with accompanying bumping has been officially cancelled. All Endoscopy nurses will remain in Endoscopy. The changes in the delivery of nursing care during Endoscopy procedures are being revised as the process goes forward. The nurses will continue to monitor these changes to insure safe, quality care for our patients. In unity, Stephanie Stevens RN, Chairperson

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Morton Hospital: We have a new CEO, Maureen Bryant, and there have been some administrative changes to go along with that. We had our financial presentation from our Chief Financial Officer at our last negotiation meeting, the MNA sent Edgar, their financial specialist to listen in and he will be getting back to us with what he thinks. We have open meetings planned this week with the pension specialist from MNA to discuss the plans. (what we have now—defined benefit vs. what they want to change it to – defined contribution). We have made some progress on non-financial issues, but we’re just beginning to discuss our financial proposals. Surveys were sent out to the bargaining unit members to prioritize our proposals. Respectfully submitted, Janet DeMoranville, Chair Designee

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VNA Cape Cod: Negotiations remain on hold pending MNA review of CCHC financial status. VNA has been hiring a few more nurses and positions are getting filled as soon as they are posted. Our fall season is very busy, as busy as the summer. Nurses have been stepping up and picking up the extra work as bonus visits. Thankfully, there has not been any mandatory OT. We have undergone some system changes with our laptops and documentation so all the nurses are busy trying to learn new ways of processing info that we assimilate and produce daily. I encourage all staff to continue to network with your peers; take your lunch breaks and spend some time getting to know your fellow team members. It all makes for a more cohesive, productive, happy working team. Respectfully submitted, Deb Caruso RN, Chairperson

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Martha’s Vineyard Hospital: The new hospital is scheduled to open in February of 2010 after a trial run of all systems in January prior to occupation by patients. We are all excited and look forward to the move. Respectfully submitted, Rick Lambos, Chair

2009 – 10 Region Council Members & Staff

  • Chair – Stephanie Stevens: Sandwich, Jordan Hospital Chair, MNA Board of Directors
  • *Vice-Chair – Peggy Kilroy: Centerville, Cape Cod Hospital
  • Treasurer – Rick Lambos: Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Chair
  • *Secretary – Lauren Johnson-Lavender: Mashpee, Falmouth Hospital
  • *Trudy Bull: East Falmouth, Falmouth Hospital
  • Deb Caruso: Brewster, Cape Cod VNA Chair
  • Janet DeMoranville: Lakeville, Morton Hospital Chair Designee
  • Ellen Farley: Middleboro, Unit 7 Chair Designee, MNA Board of Directors
  • *Kathy Metzger: Taunton, Brockton Hospital Chair, MNA Board of Directors
  • Joanne Murphy: West Wareham, Jordan Hospital Chair Designee
  • Nickerly Powderly: Forestdale, Falmouth Hospital Chair
  • Shannon Sherman: Yarmouth Port, Cape Cod Hospital Chair

* elected

  • Pat Conway: Office Manager
  • Barbara ‘Cookie’ Cooke: Community Organizer

SAVE THE DATES!

  • 12.08.09 Go to the polls and VOTE!
  • 12.08.09 CE—Compassion Fatigue
  • 01.19.10 Go to the polls and VOTE!
  • 03.24.09 CE—Accepting, Rejecting, and Delegating a Work Assignment
  • 04.13.09 CE—Infectious Diseases Update: TB and Hepatitis
  • 05.20.09 CE—Neurological Complications Nursing Management
  • 06.03.09 5th Annual Deb Walsh Memorial OB/GYN Lecture Series

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We’d love to hear from you!

The Cranberry Scoop is published four times per year by Regional Council 3. It is a publication made available to MNA Region Three members as a means of communicating information and topics of interest relative to our region and we invite members to submit writings to the newsletter, especially through the editorial voice.

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for brevity, content and clarity. Include a daytime and evening telephone number.

Email to region3@mnarn.org or please sign your submission and mail to: MNA Region 3, P O Box 1363, Sandwich, MA 0256

Check Out the NEW Region 3 MNA Website!
www.massnurses.org/region3

Now Region 3 members can find region-specific information at their fingertips! Our Region 3 website is easily accessed via a link from the MNA website (see below). The region contact information is all there along with a handy calendar that displays Region 3 CE programs, Labor School schedule, Region Council Meetings and other events scheduled from time to time. There are also convenient links to FORMS that you may need! We’re still in the early stages of use and
will be adding/updating content on a regular basis so please visit the site any time you get a chance! In addition, if you have any suggestions or material that you feel would benefit the region, please call Pat Conway, Office Manager at 508.888.5774.

MNA Endorses Martha Coakley for US Senate Seat

BE SURE TO VOTE!
The special state primary for Senator in Congress will be held on December 8, 2009
The special state election for Senator in Congress will be held on January 19, 2010

Can’t get to the polls?
Pick up an absentee ballot
For details, go to
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howabs.htm

How Does the MNA’s Political Action Committee (PAC) Work?

PACs, or Political Action Committees, raise and spend money to either elect or defeat particular political candidates. Many years ago, the< MNA formed the Mass Nurses PAC as its Political Action Committee. This is a state PAC that supports local, state legislative, and statewide< candidates like State Rep., State Senator, or Governor.

How does the PAC decide who gets endorsed?

Political endorsements are often controversial, so the Mass Nurses PAC uses a thorough and rigorous evaluation process to decide who gets< endorsed and who doesn’t.

  • The PAC closely reviews the voting records of incumbent legislators seeking re-election.
  • For candidates without a voting record to review, the PAC sends a detailed questionnaire. Candidates who want the endorsement< are required to complete the questionnaire in its entirety.
  • The PAC reviews the questionnaire, and then conducts a rigorous interview with promising candidates. The PAC doesn’t endorse< in every race – sometimes they elect to stay neutral.
  • The PAC is always interested in the views of local nurses when making an endorsement, so if you have an opinion about your< elected officials, you should let us know!

For federal offices, like Congress or President of the United States, and for statewide offices like Governor or Attorney General, the PAC is< not the final decision maker. In those races, the PAC makes recommendations to the MNA Board of Directors, which makes the final decision.< How is the PAC structured? How can I get involved?

There are 21 seats on the PAC Board made up of 4 elected officers, 10 at-large elected members, and 7 appointed seats. Each seat serves< for a 2-year term.

Any voting MNA member in good standing can run for a seat on the PAC. Every year at Convention, the PAC conducts its own business< meeting and election. Elections for Chairperson and Treasurer are held during the odd years. Elections for Vice-Chairperson and Secretary< are held during the even years. Each year, elections are held for 5 of the at-large seats.

The seven appointed seats are allocated as follows: MNA President = 1 seat, Chair of the Congress on Health Policy and Legislation = 1< seat, and each of the 5 Regional Councils appoint one representative = 5 seats.< There are a variety of ways to support the Mass Nurses PAC. You can:

  • Contribute to the PAC financially (PAC money is separate from your dues – by law)
  • Run for a seat on the PAC – help decide which candidates get endorsed
  • Once an endorsement is made, participate in helping to elect a candidate!

Convention 2009
Regional Council 3 hosts a memorable event!

View Pictures.

MNA Labor School Track 3 starts Nov 17th!
* Collective Bargaining *

Associate Director/Educator Tom Breslin has scheduled Track 3, comprised of 6 classes, beginning in late November through early February.

The courses are extremely helpful to bargaining unit committee members or peer groups within their facility but any member will find these programs to be a great opportunity to meet colleagues, and to share information and experiences.

Classes are FREE for all MNA members. Each class is 2 to 2 1/2 hours long and a light dinner is served 30 minutes prior to each class. A certificate of completion is awarded to members at the end of each track. In addition, members who complete any two tracks will be given an MNA Labor School jacket.

There is no commitment to attend all tracks and it is not required that the tracks be taken in any particular order. For more information or to register, contact the Region 3 Office at 508-888-5774.

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