“Today, I was one of the few that voted against the “Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act,” in the Health Committee. This bill would require hospitals and nursing homes to implement certain direct-care nurse-to-patient ratios. If the nurse-to-patient ratio isn't fulfilled, the hospital will have to reduce the amount of patients they care for. The bill fails to address significant staffing shortages hospitals face, which would put the safety of patients at risk. Rural hospitals, such as Noyes Hospital in Dansville, currently struggle to hire enough nurses and, by creating additional staffing requirements, they could be forced to close their doors.

“Hospitals, especially in rural locations, are important to the health and well-being of the community. The loss of rural hospitals would isolate many from accessible healthcare. This year, state Majority politicians called on the Department of Health to perform a study on safe staffing requirements. Their findings are due at the end of the year. While we need to address this issue, it’s critical that we don’t act on this legislation prematurely. The findings of this study could offer us sensible solutions. It would be a waste of resources and taxpayer dollars to vote on this bill without its results.”