UNAC/UHCP Members Testify in Sacramento

March 2015

On March 9, UNAC/UHCP members testified before the Health and Human Services Budget Subcommittee in Sacramento about the importance of prioritizing funding to improve statewide staffing ratios. Registered nurses Teresa Casteen, Lisa Haughey, and Megan Joyce provided the panel with personal experiences that illustrated the risks of inadequate staffing within hospitals.

Their testimonies emphasized that this ongoing hazard not only threatens patient safety, but also severely limits the quality of care a nurse is able to provide. This created concern amongst the legislators present, prompting them to question the California Department of Public Health's current accountability mechanisms.

By connecting this issue to their every day experiences, our members demonstrated the need for better ratio enforcement through increased state funding and improved oversight.

As hospitals continue to fall short on staffing requirements, please continue to fill out staffing objections and turn them in to our local officers, staff representatives or the UNAC/UHCP office.