Mayo Clinic Issues New Statement on Nurse Staffing Legislation
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Mayo Clinic, which has been mostly silent in regards to public statements since it issued a warning to state lawmakers a little over a week ago, today issued a new statement regarding "The Keep Nurses at the Bedside Act."
Mayo previously sent an email to Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders warning them that more than $4 billion in investments planned in Minnesota could be jeopardized if the proposed law is approved in its current form. Mayo Clinic also objected to a proposed law that would create a new state board that would set limits on growth in healthcare spending and potentially penalize healthcare providers that exceed the limits.
Below is Mayo Clinic's latest statement on the ongoing negotiations at the State Capitol.
“A bill poised to pass in the coming days, The Keep Nurses at the Bedside Act (KNABA), will have significant negative impacts on health care in Minnesota and will severely limit Mayo Clinic’s ability to deliver world-class care.
This bill imposes a government-mandated staffing model and complex regulatory structure that will limit the autonomy and flexibility needed to allow Mayo to do what it does best – innovate and meet the needs of our patients, our staff and the communities we serve.
Over the past several months, Mayo Clinic has provided numerous recommendations that would remove or modify the harmful portions of KNABA while keeping intact the portions that would benefit patients and health care workers. Mayo Clinic has proposed an option that achieves high nurse staffing standards by using advanced tools that more effectively and flexibly combine nurse input and patient needs. We implore legislators and the Governor to consider the voice of highly skilled, experienced health care providers like Mayo when determining the final versions.
Our position is about patients. It is about our staff and our communities. It is about whether and where Mayo Clinic can push the boundaries of innovation to cure, connect and transform health care for patients everywhere.”
Mayo Clinic has not publicly discussed what projects plan for Minnesota might be canceled or shifted to another state, but sources have told KROC News that Mayo Clinic has been preparing for the possible development of a large hospital that would be located in downtown Rochester in an area just west of the Gonda Building.