Part 2: Thank some Legislators!

[cschwab]

Well, it worked so well the first time!  Part 1: Thank some Legislators!  How about we try it again!

Now that we are are out of the Colorado state House, we now have the Colorado state Senate Health and Human Services to get through:

Where:
Colorado State Capitol
200 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO  80203

Senate Committee Room 356

When:
Thursday, March 15th
1:30pm

Why:
Support bill HB1204, state bill for the certification of hemodialysis techs.

From what I understand there is only a sponsor on the bill on the Senate side and co-sponsors might come later?

So the Sponsor to thank is Colorado State Senator Betty Boyd, Chair of the Health and Human Services committee and President Pro Tempore:  betty.boyd.senate*at*state.co.us  ph. 303-866-4857  

And while we are at it, I think Senator Bob Bacon ought to be thanked for his work on the 2007 bill!  His work got us the critical vote to get us out of committee by one vote back in 2007!  And who knows, maybe we could hint we wouldn't mind seeing him as a co-sponsor!  Senator Bob Bacon, bob.bacon.senate*at*state.co.us ph 303-866-4841

REASONS FOR THE BILL:    
1) This state bill ties in tech certification with a dialysis clinic

[cschwab]

To repeat some reasons to vote for the bill and some additional reasons:
1) Checks tech certification every year with the renewal of the license vs. other states like California which check every 3 years (if that).  We are hearing clinic managers are less likely to try and use less-qualified staff.
2) Infections like sepsis, a potentially lethal infection of the blood, took a significant dip in 2008-2009 when the state tech program was starting to be implemented - California continued to climb, their tech certification hadn't been implemented yet.
3) Stopping this bill could lead to a watered-down version of tech certification which California has with their CDC program - good only in California.  I should note California appears to have higher rates of infections (sepsis was very notable!)
4) A retired dialysis nurse testified about the case of someone who couldn't pass the company test, but was allowed on the floor anyway jeopardizing the safety of patients.  Had there been state or federal certification, she felt there was less of chance of this person getting out on the floor - or even being hired.
5) A lady who had been on dialysis eleven years testified she met a tech who was allowed on the floor after two weeks!  Would you trust a mechanic working on your brakes if they had just picked up a wrench two weeks ago?
6) A current dialysis patient testified how he had seen staff short-handed.  Would you want that already short-handed staff to be also poorly-trained?
7) Low fiscal impact
8) Clinic managers report less turn-over with certification.

[cschwab]

HB1204, the Colorado bill for the certification of hemodialysis techs, passed out of the Health and Human Services committee 9-0!!!!!!!!!  About the only things we have left now are to pass the state Senate floor and get signed by the Governor.

[cschwab]

Audio of Colorado Senate hearing:
http://dialysisethics2.org/open_images/audio/coloradoga_senate_2012.mp3

[cschwab]

Colorado bill HB1204 passed the Senate floor 28-7!!!!!!!!!!!  State Senators Aguilar, Foster, Newell and Tochtrop were added as Co-sponsors!

All that is left is the Governor, give him a holler!
http://www.colorado.gov/govhdir/requests/opinion-leg.html

[cschwab]

Governor signed the bill!!!!  (I didn't even get a pen, but I'll get over it - had to find something to whine about)


HB1204
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=GovHickenlooper%2FCBONLayout&cid=1251621316251&pagename=CBONWrapper