WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

WHEREAS, a misguided emphasis on cost cutting and profit making within the American health care system has led to dangerous and unethical practices that threaten quality care and patient safety; and

Whereas, our members are seeing increasing examples of practices such as releasing patients from hospitals prematurely, using unlicensed and inadequately trained workers to perform invasive procedures, and cutting staffing levels so that seriously ill patients are unmonitored; and

Whereas, these threats to patient care have led to increasing concerns on the part of health care professionals about patients' safety, patients' access to quality care, and patients' entitlement to be informed about choices in care; and

Whereas, frontline health care workers are dedicated to providing the best care possible to their patients and are highly aware of their ethical and professional responsibility to speak out against practices that threaten the safety and the quality of care their patients receive; and

Whereas, that obligation may in certain cases lead to the reporting of information to appropriate administrative or regulatory bodies or even the refusal to perform activities that the professional believes to be improper; and

Whereas, the majority of health care workers in this nation, in particular those in the private sector, are not protected from the possibility of retaliation by their employers for fulfilling their professional responsibility toward their patients and protecting their patients' rights to quality care; and

Whereas, members of AFT/FNHP have been retaliated against and threatened with retaliation for disclosing or threatening to disclose instances of improper patient care; and

Whereas, the AFT/FNHP has already won ground-breaking victories in passing state "whistleblower" laws protecting health care employees against retaliation when they report or protest practices that threaten patient care and patient safety; and

Whereas, the AFT/FNHP is committed to establishing the clear right of health care professionals to report practices that endanger or shortchange patients and to fostering a public environment in which professionals who exercise that right are recognized and rewarded:

RESOLVED, that the AFT/FNHP continue to fight aggressively for legislation and regulations at the state level and for the passage of The Patients' Bill of Rights at the federal level to provide the fullest measure of whistleblower protection for health care workers; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT/FNHP continue to work with other AFL-CIO unions and the national AFL-CIO and will seek allies among patient advocacy groups, community organizations, health care purchasers and others to further passage of such legislation; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT/FNHP encourage the further development of mechanisms to provide accurate information on quality of care to patients and other consumers of health care services; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT/FNHP will remain strongly committed to using all possible avenues to establish and protect health care professionals' right to advocate forcefully on behalf of their patients and to uphold their professional responsibilities without fear of retaliation or retribution.