Are you concerned about rising inequities in access to health care?

Do you want all Pennsylvanians to have access to high quality, safe patient care?

Do you know someone who has medical debt to a hospital that is threatening to take away their house or income?

Come to a Public Meeting to talk about it!

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Friday, February 3
1 to 4 p.m.
Friends Center, Rufus Jones Room, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is revising the state's hospital code, and has proposed regulations to protect patients and provide safer hospitals for all of us. Hospital Watch PA, a project of SEIU District 1199P and the Nurse Alliance of PA, is holding a public meeting to discuss these proposed regulations with the community. Also attending the meeting will be Barbara Holland, from the Governor's Office of Health Care Reform.

Some of the proposed regulations include:

*Ensuring that low-income, uninsured patients have access to care, by setting income-defined rules about which patients are eligible for charity or discounted care.

*Making hospitals safer by setting staffing ratios for all patient care units. Patients in critical care units, NICUs, ICUs, and coronary care units would be guaranteed a 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio.

*Preventing hospitals from foreclosing on the homes of patients who are unable to pay medical bills.

*Requiring that hospitals provide interpreters for patients who speak a language other than English, at no cost to the patient.

Want to find out more? Call Kati at 717-238-3030 x.1135 or email sippk@seiu1199p.org.