Burnout from the pandemic has caused a nursing shortage in some parts of the country. But at one Oregon hospital, some nurses say they're leaving because of what they see as a hostile work environment.

Union members in the Oregon Nurses Association at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria are speaking out about conditions there. One member, who has asked to remain anonymous to protect her job, said management is creating a "culture of bullying and retaliation."

Oregon Nurses Association spokesperson Kevin Mealy said the nursing staff has been called "disposable."

"This is the type of behavior you're seeing from management during COVID crisis, when nurses are papering over so many holes in the health-care system," said Mealy. "The lack of respect and appreciation for the job nurses are doing, and the skills they bring to the profession, is shocking, quite frankly."

Two grievances have been filed, one for what's described as the "bullying nature" of the workplace; the other for short-staffing in the hospital's family birthing center.

Nancee Long, director of communication for Columbia Memorial Hospital, said as in other parts of the country, nurses have left during the pandemic. But she said the hospital "has filled these vacancies with the help of competent agency nurses."

Mealy said nurses have expressed concern at the high number of agency or traveling nurses working in the hospital. He said some of the nurses, who are highly specialized, aren't necessarily able to do all the tasks nurses normally would.

"These substitute, short-time nurses don't have the same skills as the experienced nurses who left," said Mealy. "So they can only solve half the equation."

Mealy added nurses are quitting and going elsewhere, although some offered to stay on longer until the hospital found their replacements - especially in the family birthing center.

"These nurses, who are core members of the community in Astoria, still live there and drive further to get to work at a different location," said Mealy. "And they offered to stay because they don't want to see the family birth center closed for any amount of time - but they also can't stand being abused."

The Columbia Memorial Hospital spokesperson said the family birthing center is "fully staffed and has continued to meet the needs of patients through the pandemic." She said it has never closed due to low-staffing.

After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.