Government-mandated staffing ratios will damage Michigan’s healthcare system. We need to…
Think it Through.
Government-mandated staffing ratios will hurt Michigan residents, not only in hospitals, but across the entire care spectrum.
Michiganders have a lot of questions...
Our partners are urging lawmakers to Think it Through.
Dozens of healthcare and business organizations have come together because these government-mandates will cause a massive disruption to our healthcare industry. We need to slow down and truly Think it Through.
DID YOU KNOW?
If this one-size-fits-all government-mandate passes without new nurses, we could see up to 5,100 hospital beds, or 23% of Michigan’s total statewide bed capacity, close.
That would be like closing ALL hospitals north of Grand Rapids and Flint.
We can do better
This policy will damage MI healthcare...
The proposed government-mandated nurse staffing ratio policy in Michigan risks costing hospitals about $1.1 billion, potentially leading to hospital closures, loss of beds at hospitals and severe service reductions.
The plan would also necessitate hiring an additional 13,000 new nurses in the middle of one of the most severe national nursing shortages. That means patients will experience longer wait times and reduced access to healthcare due to decreased hospital bed capacity.
Not to mention what this will mean for healthcare outside of hospitals. If hospitals have this government-mandate to staff at the proposed levels, where will nursing homes, eldercare facilities, schools or other healthcare providers find nurses?
What this policy will mean for...
Nurses
- Severe Hiring Needs: To comply with the proposed ratios, Michigan hospitals would need to hire at least 13,000 nurses. This is despite a national nursing shortage, with Michigan hospitals seeking to fill 4,717 open nursing positions.
- Workload and Flexibility Concerns: The fixed staffing ratios reduce staffing flexibility, removing local hospitals from staffing based on the individual needs and experiences of their nursing staff.
Hospitals
- Risk of Bed Reductions: Up to 5,100 hospital beds, or 23% of Michigan’s total statewide bed capacity, risk closure. This is equivalent to closing all hospitals north of Grand Rapids and Flint, or losing the total bed capacity of states like New Hampshire and Maine combined.
- High Financial Cost: The estimated cost for Michigan hospitals to implement these ratios is about $1.1 billion, leading to potential hospital closures and service reductions.
- Operational Struggles: Hospitals would have to reallocate existing RNs, potentially placing emergency rooms on diversion, reducing available healthcare services and requiring patients to travel further for emergency care.
YOU
- Access and Wait Time Issues: Reduced bed capacity and potential hospital closures could lead to longer wait times and limited access to healthcare services, affecting patient care delivery.
- Rising Healthcare Costs: The financial burden on hospitals will result in increased healthcare costs, impacting patients’ affordability and access to healthcare.
- Quality of Care Concerns: Studies in other states with government-mandated staffing ratios, like California, show no significant improvement in patient outcomes, raising concerns about the effectiveness of such policies.
One-Size-Fits-All Nurse Staffing Government-Mandates Won't Work for Michigan Residents
Take Action
You can help make sure our legislators Think it Through!
Accessing safe, affordable, high-quality healthcare is important to all Michiganders. We cannot take a “let’s see if this works” approach to patient care.
The registered nurse turnover rate for Michigan hospitals is already 3.7 percentage points lower than the national average of 18.4%. Michigan hospitals are also already outperforming national nurse retention rates, offering better and faster pay, improved benefits and employee support, and expanding opportunities for students to consider a nursing career.
Dozens of healthcare and business organizations have come together to oppose this legislation because it is poorly thought through. Families across the state deserve better.
