Radiance Medical Starting Peripheral Vascular Study
California’s mandatory nurse-staffing ratio law, the first in the country, is set to go into effect in January. And hospitals in Orange County and the state could have to dip into their tills to ensure compliance, according to a new analysis of the law.
The San Francisco-based Public Policy Institute of California, a not-for-profit research group that looks at healthcare and other issues affecting the state, reported that each hospital in California could spend $200,000 to $2.3 million to comply with the new staffing law.
In the institute’s report, economist Joanne Spetz found that at least half of hospitals in California and as many as 95% would be affected by new minimum staffing ratios under three separate scenarios.
Spetz looked at proposals put forth by the California Healthcare Association, which represents hospitals, as well as those from the Service Employees International Union and the California Nurses Association.
The healthcare association’s proposal would come in at the low end, at around $200,000 per hospital. The union proposal would cost more than $1.3 million, while the California Nurses Association’s proposal could cost hospitals upward of $2.3 million a year, according to the institute.
In terms of numbers, the California Healthcare Association has suggested a ratio of one nurse for every 10 patients in medical-surgical units. That association contends that proposals with lower ratios don’t take nursing shortages into account.
But Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente, one of Orange County’s largest health plans, broke ranks with other hospitals and is endorsing a ratio proposed by the service employees union and the United Nurses Association of California. Those unions, which represent around 10,000 Kaiser nurses around the state, suggest a ratio of one nurse for every four patients in medical-surgical units. But the institute’s findings irked the California Nurses Association, which is calling for a ratio of one nurse to every three patients in medical-surgical units. Association President Kay McVay, in published reports, alleged the analysis’ cost estimates were based on misleading data.
McVay, who received her training at UCI Medical Center, Orange, when it was Orange County General Hospital, contended that implementing the higher ratios may be cost-neutral and would produce “an enormous public benefit.” The nursing group is planning a statewide rally Sept. 6 in Sacramento to support its proposed nurse-staffing ratio.
Meanwhile, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported last month that little evidence exists to support the belief that mandatory nursing ratios enhance patient safety. Mandatory nursing ratios, in fact, didn’t even make a list of top 11 patient safety practices that the agency looked at.
“Even though many of these practices are clearly valuable in improving patient safety, the report shows that there needs to be more research in these areas so that we know more about which practices are most effective and how complex or costly they would be to put into place,” said Dr. John Eisenberg, the agency’s director, in a release.
Regulators OK Radiance Study
Radiance Medical Systems Inc., Irvine, said it received a conditional investigational device exemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The exemption allows Radiance to begin enrolling patients in its peripheral vascular study in the U.S.
The study is designed to enroll up to 50 patients to evaluate the use of Radiance’s RDX radiation delivery system in preventing the recurrence of atherosclerotic blockage following interventional treatment in arteries of the mid- and lower leg. Radiance said U.S. enrollment will start later this quarter, following receipt of investigational review board approval at participating sites.
