November 20, 2003

Dear Journalist,

On January 1, 2004, every hospital in California will be required to
implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios to comply with the Safe Staffing
Law (AB 394). This law will drastically improve the care that Latino
hospital patients receive.

Did you know that nearly 40% of all hospitals patients in greater Los
Angeles County are Latino? What's more, one-third of all hospital patients
in the county are pregnant women and of those, 62% are Latinas. In East Los
Angeles, the number of Latina patients jumps to 82%.

Recent studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the
American Journal of Nursing found that better hospital staffing is directly
responsible for decreases in hospital complications such as pneumonia,
urinary tract and other infections, shock and cardiac arrest * all dangerous
but common complications for patients. One study even shows that for each
patient assigned to a nurse over four patients, mortality rates rise by 7
percent.

Short staffing in hospitals means patients have less time to ask questions
of medical professionals, and it becomes difficult for employees to provide
instructions in the language that patients best understand. Many times,
young children are forced to interpret for the parents * which can be both
difficult and embarrassing * and patients are less likely to take
medications properly if they don't fully understand instructions.

Despite the importance of safer staffing, the hospital industry has
attempted to weaken the regulations and stall their implementation since the
law was first signed in 1999. As the implementation deadline nears, the
industry is attempting to scare lawmakers and the public by threatening to
break the law, close hospitals or leave patients without medical care.

Hospital Watch is working to educate patients and health care professionals
on the new law, and is taking steps to make sure it is enforced. We are also
surveying nurses, patients and health care professionals on hospital
compliance and gathering stories from inside the hospitals on patient care.
Please feel free to contact us at 213-368-7408 for more information.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Kelly
Hospital Watch
ph: 213-368-7408