I am a nurse anesthesiologist in Brownsville. The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act has been re-introduced.
The purpose and mandate of healthcare was, and is, providing care for those who are too sick or too injured to be cared for at home.
Over the last 30 years, the increases in administrative budgets have, in a large part, been paid for by decreases in the nursing budget.
This not only has led to increased patient morbidity and mortality and higher overall healthcare costs, it has resulted in the serious deterioration of the physical, emotional and financial health of the primary healthcare provider, the nurse, and the nurses’ relationships with family and friends.
The incidence of anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD and suicide are now higher than the general population.
This bill would set specific safety limits on the number of patients each registered nurse can care for in hospitals throughout the United States. Staffing ratios have been proven to improve patient outcomes and nurse retention.
The Valley is among the least healthy areas in the country. We desperately need more nurses.
The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act will make sure when you need a nurse there will be one there to take care of you.
Douglas McKee RN, CRNA
Brownsville
Info wanted
about LNG
What has been happening lately with the proposed liquefied natural gas export terminals in the RGV in general and Rio Grande LNG in particular?
Recently the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opened an incident report for the Freeport, Texas, explosion and fire of June 2022 that was reported to be brought under control and extinguished with assistance from local fire departments but resulted in a shutdown of the facility — and fear in the nearby town’s population. It wasn’t until January 2023 that the terminal’s operations could be gradually phased in.
Aren’t local fire departments mostly volunteer nearest the RGLNG site?
In a letter to FERC in March the Sierra Club stated, “when we ask about their (LNG) safety and risk management plans, we are told that the information is either classified to protect national security or classified because the companies want to protect their business trade secrets. It makes no sense that these big industries and your government agencies put us at risk of major explosions and catastrophe, and then keep that information about these risks from us — including safety plans we could use to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities.”
Shouldn’t the safety of our citizens and environment be paramount for FERC and other regulatory agencies? Is it now and has it been in the past? If so, why are our RGV communities denied information concerning the operations of these LNG export terminals not divulged, and instead redacted or withheld?
Or does FERC correspondence only reveal the obvious, that the oil and gas industries operate in impunity and with immunity from public accountability under the guises of national security and proprietary interests?
Diane Teter
Edinburg
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