AFT NM News:

SANTA FE – National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, District 1199NM Executive Director, HB 236 Sponsor Rep. Eleanor Chavez, District 1199NM President James Ortiz and American Federation of Teachers New Mexico (AFT NM) President Whitney Holland issued the following statement Monday celebrating House Bill 236’s advancement thorough the House Health and Human Services Committee:

“Our unions are celebrating the passage of House Bill 236 through its first committee, the House Health and Human Services Committee on a unanimous vote. House Bill 236 would begin the process to establish safe staffing levels in New Mexico’s hospital settings.

“House Bill 236 is an effort to prioritize our community health and wellbeing by putting patient care first and implementing safe staffing levels to increase the time that healthcare professionals can spend with their patients.

“Without action, we believe vacancies among professional healthcare positions will continue to increase due to fatigue and burnout.

“Patient care is suffering from an unsustainable staffing model, lowering the quality of healthcare in New Mexico. Using decades of evidence, House Bill 236 will empower experts and practitioners to envision and implement evidence-based safe staffing policies that will ultimately save lives.

“We urge every member of the New Mexico Legislature to support House Bill 236 as it continues through the legislative process.”