UNAP Endorses Whitehouse for Senate
Health Professionals & Candidate Share Ideas at Roundtable Discussion
Friday, September 22, 2006
Providence, R.I. - The United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) endorsed
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sheldon Whitehouse today, calling
Whitehouse a "champion" for health care reforms that will improve working
conditions for their members and the quality of care for their patients.
Whitehouse joined UNAP President Linda McDonald, RN, who made the
announcement, and several UNAP members at a roundtable discussion on their
ideas for real solutions to the challenges they encounter in the health care
system.
"We all share the goal of making health insurance available to every
American family, and as nurses and health professionals, we have a unique
perspective on the enormous waste and inefficiency in today's health care
system that get in the way of expanding coverage," said McDonald. "Like our
members, Sheldon Whitehouse understands that the quality of the system
affects the quality of care, and he's worked hard to find new solutions that
will make the system work better."
"The nurses I've met are so frustrated at being spread too thin and having
to spend more time jumping through bureaucratic hoops than caring for
patients," Whitehouse said. "Expanding the availability of health
information technology and improving the quality of the system will save
time, money, and lives. This will be among my top priorities in the
Senate."
Whitehouse has long advocated for significant reform to improve the quality
and efficiency of our health care system. As Rhode Island's Attorney
General, he founded the Rhode Island Quality Institute, which began an
initiative to allow doctors' offices to send prescriptions to pharmacies
electronically. Rhode Island was recognized by SureScripts, the largest
network provider of electronic prescribing services, as the nation's leader
in the use of electronic prescriptions earlier this year.
To improve working conditions for nurses and health care professionals,
Whitehouse supports establishing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in acute
care settings, restricting mandatory overtime, and taking steps to address
the growing shortage of nurses by making it easier to pursue a career in
nursing.
The United Nurses & Allied Professionals (UNAP) is a regional health care
union representing 4,500 nurses, technologists, therapists, support staff,
and other health care workers employed in Rhode Island, Vermont, and
Connecticut.