Page 12 - SFHN618finalSP.qxp_SFHN 0608 Friday 5.0

Nursing News... Nursing News... Nursing

Nurses Condemn VA ‘Mission to Privatize’ Act,

Urge Senate to Reject Endangering Healthcare for Veterans

National Nurses United urged swaths of the VA system. It also cre- severe war related injuries, such as health care providers, which nurses
Senate members to reject S. 2372, the ates a commission, appointed solely traumatic brain and spinal chord say jeopardizes patient care for our
VA Mission Act which they called a by the President bypassing Congress, injuries, PTSD, and mental health nation’s veterans.
major step towards the privatization which would have the ability to close problems. We urge our elected leaders “Our registered nurses that provide
of veterans health care which could VA medical centers and clinics. not to abandon our veterans who need VA care know that primary care is the
endanger the health of millions of U.S. “It would be more honest and trans- this specialized care,” Ross said. heart and soul of the VA. Farming out
service veterans. The Senate is expect- parent to call this bill the Mission to In a letter to Senators today, Ross primary care to other providers will be
ed to vote as soon as Wednesday on its Privatize Act and stop the pretense it and NNU Co-President Deborah a major step to dismantling the VA
version of the bill that passed the has any other real goal,” said Ross. “If Burger cited a recent RAND entirely, opening the door to privatize
House last week. Congress members want to expand Corporation study. Commissioned by services that have historically been
“Marketed as a means to expand benefits for our veterans, they should the VA, which found that the VA med- provided at the VA, and undermining
some benefits for veterans, this bill enact that legislation as a stand alone ical system is working as well or bet- one of the other strengths of the VA
masks a long desired corporate, far measure, not as political cover for a ter than non-VA care. On average, VA system—the integration of care,”
right goal of accelerating the disman- hastening a program of privatization.” hospitals performed the same or "sig- wrote Burger and Ross, RN in the let-
tling and privatization of our Veterans NNU strongly supports efforts to nificantly better" than non-VA hospi- ter.
Administration program at the expand benefits, as well as to fully tals on almost all patient, mortality Private healthcare is also far more
expense of countless veterans who fund VA health services, she said. and effectiveness measures, expensive than the cost effective VA
have served our nation,” said NNU “Despite all the attacks on our pre- researchers found. system, Ross noted. It is expected that
Co-President Jean Ross, RN. NNU cious VA system, the reality is the VA For outpatients, VA facilities per- the bill would open the door to higher
represents 11,000 VA RNs among its medical system is far better equipped formed better than commercial and out of pocket costs for veterans at a
150,000 members. to provide the clinical and cultural Medicaid HMOs; and better or simi- time many are already struggling with
S. 2372 gives the Veterans expertise needed especially by our larly to Medicare HMOs. higher housing costs and other eco-
Administration Secretary the authori- wounded veterans,” said Ross. Additionally, S. 2372 allows for pri- nomic troubles, especially those try-
ty to privatize and dismantle broad That includes “critical treatment of mary care to be given over to private ing to reintegrate into society.

Cover Story: Jackson Health System Celebrates 100 Years

Continued from page 1
Coming impact on history with some medical Migoya said. “Jackson continues to offer lic support.”
next month in firsts and accomplishments, including: access to all kinds of health care and lion less in public support than it did five
Jackson now receives about $105 mil-
wellness and we want to be there for
• 1955: New treatment for cleft lip
South Florida • 1965: New burn cure everyone.” years ago. And that trend will continue,
Jackson provides about $600 million a
Hospital News • 1985: New treatment for HIV year in charity care. What also makes notes Migoya.
• 1986: Development of the Miami
“As the dependency on public support
and Healthcare Pouch to help women with bladder can- Jackson different from other public hos- goes away, we have to replace that with
cer enjoy a better quality of life
pitals across the nation is that it’s also an
patient revenue,” he says. “Since we have
• 1994: First intestinal transplant in
Report... Florida academic center. In fact, it is not only great quality doctors and medical servic-
es, we’re an attractive place for many
one of the three largest public hospitals
• 2002: Implanted a donor heart in a in the country but also one of the top paying patients. For that reason, we can
• Financial, Legal patient without removing original heart three largest academic hospitals nation- bring in more patient revenue that can
and Business • 2006: Removed failing heart of a wide. help offset all of the challenges we have
patient for 10 hours by connecting a left “We have 1,100 residents and fellows from a public support standpoint.”
Professionals in and right ventricular assist device to the which we train each year thanks to our Looking ahead, Migoya says to expect
Healthcare aorta 60-year partnership with the University to see more of the Jackson brand
• 2008: Used internal warming of Miami,” says Migoya. “In the last 20 throughout Miami-Dade County. He
•Advances in method to prevent hypothermia during years, over 70 percent of the doctors points out the difficulty of navigating
Medical Technology burn surgery trained here at Jackson have remained traffic in Miami-Dade which may hinder
& Medicine • 2008: Built a custom artificial heart within a 50-mile radius of our health sys- the ability and willingness of potential
for 14-year-old patient who lived another tem, which is a testament to the great patients to seek medical care anywhere
•Telemedicine in 118 days community in which we reside.” more than five miles from them.
the Healthcare • 2010: Removed a tennis-ball-sized Since its founding, Jackson has since “You’ll see better equipment and tech-
Delivery System tumor while patient was still in her expanded to six hospitals, multiple pri- nology, more outpatient facilities, anoth-
mother’s womb mary care clinics and specialty care cen- er acute hospital in addition to the three
•Medical Tourism • 2014: Doctors performed Florida’s ters, two long-term care nursing facili- we have now, and you’ll see the Jackson
first three-way kidney transplant ties, corrections health clinics, and a net- brand move closer to more communi-
• Bundled Payments • 2016: Successfully performed trans- work of behavioral health facilities and ties,” he says. “What will not change is
– Navigating the plant surgery on two siblings, five years urgent care centers. the fact that Jackson plans to continue to
Challenges to Success apart, giving them a total of 15 new Migoya acknowledges that these are be the acuity hospital it needs to be for
organs challenging times for not just Jackson, serious illnesses anywhere in South
While there have been a significant but many healthcare facilities. Florida.”
For more information amount of changes over the past century, “For the last several years, state and
on advertising and Jackson’s dedication to meeting the federal governments have been looking For more information on Jackson Health
health and wellness needs of the commu-
to reduce the cost of healthcare,” he says.
editorial opportunities, call nity has remained the same. “As part of our vision, we will continue System, visit www.jacksonhealth.org. To
(561) 368-6950 today! “Our mission is to provide the best to work on how to build the brand and learn more about its centennial celebration,
quality health care to all Miami-Dade res- how to get paying patients to come in to visit www.centuryofmiracles.org.
idents regardless of their ability to pay,” help us so we’re not just relying on pub-

12 June 2018 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News