The Monitor

the

monitor

February, 2009

1199 SEIU Professional & Technical Newsletter

1199SEIU Licensed Creative Art Therapists Make Gains at Interfaith Hospital Recently Licensed Creative Art Therapists at Interfaith Hospital in Brooklyn, known as LCAT’s, concluded a successful contract reopener that resulted in significant wage increases. Equally important was the hospital’s recognition of their unique contribution in serving the needs of the community.

The new wage agreement will be implemented in two stages, with the final increase coming in September 2009.

Many of the LCAT’s will see their wages increase by $5,000-$6,000 annually. The workers within this department who have not yet gotten their licenses, or who have not yet achieved their master’s degree, will also receive increases.

Above, Interfaith Hospital Creative Arts Therapists are pleased with their newly attained recognition by the hospital. Standing at far left is 1199 SEIU delegate Linden Moogan, LCAT. Below, Rebekah Windmiller, LCAT.

It was only about 3 years ago that New York State made LCAT’s a licensed profession, which requires a master’s degree. Many LCAT’s work under different titles, and the Union has been working to make the titles consistent with the State, as well as working to improve the pay.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

· 1199SEIU Licensed Creative Art Therapists · 1199SEIU Radiology Techs Win Differential for Contrast Injection Make Gains at Interfaith Hospital · Laboratory Notes · Portrait of 1199 Respiratory Therapist · Elmhurst PA’s choose 1199 Delegate Lydia Ford, In Her Own Words · New Continuing Ed Requirements Passed for all PT’s & PTA’s · Continuing Problems with New York’s Social Work Licensing Law · Spring 2009 Academic Calender

The Monitor is available online. Go to www.1199seiu.org and click on “professional workers.”

1199SEIU Licensed Creative Art Therapists Make Gains at Interfaith Hospital ...continued LCAT’s work in the specialty areas of dance, art, drama, and recreation. At Interfaith there are 19 people in the department, working among four different inpatient units, a detox unit, a partial hospitalization unit, in the MICA (mentally ill, chemically addicted) program, and the outpatient chemical dependency unit. There are on average about 12 clients per person, depending on the specific population.

Many of the people in this profession are artists who chose to use their talents in this therapeutic field. Typical is Linden Moogan, a Dance Therapist at Interfaith and an 1199 Union delegate. “I was a professional dancer into my 30’s. I would work abroad where there were jobs—ballet, tap, and flamenco. When I got to my mid-30’s I wondered how I was going to pay the rent.” Moogan continued, “I was making art for artists, but I wanted to do more in the community, and that’s what I find here. I help people get in touch with themselves in new ways.” Moogan explains that part of the idea is to use leisure activities as therapy.

Moogan described some of the challenges: “I work with acute inpatients. They can be aggressive. Many have been incarcerated. I definitely tailor my treatment to their needs.” Moogan went on to describe the overall outlook of the creative arts therapy field. “We try to focus on people’s assets. They are so used to hearing about their problems.

We try to focus on the healthy parts of them. It’s about how we’re related as well as our individuality. We also talk with the clients about how they can carry the work forward home and into the community. We tell them how they can take it with them.”

Rebekah Windmiller, an Expressive Arts Therapist, made a similar point. “I work in all the different disciplines— art, drama, music, visual arts, poetry—it’s very much rooted in a sense of imagination and play. Everyone 2

played as children. As we get older most adults lose their sense of playfulness. Having access to that can open up a wide range of emotional experience.”

Both Moogan and Windmiller spoke highly of the role of the Union in their professional lives. Both described the importance of the medical benefits and the Child Care Fund. Moogan added that she was also grateful for the “tuition reimbursement program that provides me with annual educational funding to enhance my knowledge base, and in turn benefiting the patients I treat and the colleagues I supervise.”

Moogan and Windmiller also praised the Union’s role in the wage reopener. Windmiller expressed that while she had always appreciated the Union benefits, “it wasn’t until my department initiated a Wage Reopener working with our organizers Larry Wilds and Leon Crooks, with the assistance of David Kranz from the 1199 Professional & Technical Department, that I experienced our Union’s commitment to service and perseverance through hard times. Getting to work closely with this committed and experienced team gave me a broader perspective of 1199 and their mission. Most important, I feel part of an important team and am excited about the work we can do together to help each other through this tough economy.”

From left, Linden Moogan, Megan Reese, and Rebekah Windmiller demonstrate some of the tools of their profession.

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PORTRAIT OF AN 1199 RESPIRATORY THERAPIST Delegate Lydia Ford, In Her Own Words My name is Lydia Ford. I have been a Respiratory Therapist for thirteen years. I graduated from New York University Medical Center’s program in 1995. We left the program knowing everything we needed to know about respiratory therapy and its vital importance to patient care. I currently work at St. Luke’s Roosevelt and I am an integral part of the team that provides direct patient care.

I am especially proud of Respiratory Therapy’s role on the Emergency Code and Rapid Response Teams.

I have been an 1199 SEIU member since 1995. I became a Delegate about a year later. When I became a Delegate, one of the things I noticed was the lack of involvement in the Union of professional and technical members. I was in awe to see how Delegates from the service areas of the Union provide representation to our members with such passion and dedication, and that inspired me to provide the same representation for members in the professional and technical areas.

Some of the issues and initiatives I have worked on, or are currently working on, include: • Labor management cooperation initiatives • Contract negotiations – including introducing language establishing Professional Practice Committees in League Institutions • Traveling to Albany with thousands of other 1199 members to stop massive healthcare cuts • Working on the Respiratory Therapy Educational Committee for many years. This team of Therapists from Institutions throughout NYC, representatives from the1199

SEIU Training Fund’s Institute of Continuing Education, and a representative from the 1199 SEIU UHWE’s Professional & Technical Department has worked very hard over the years to develop and present the best continuing education programs in the country. Many of these programs are interdisciplinary.

In addition to Respiratory Therapy, most programs are accredited for professions such as: Pharmacy, Social Work, Dietitian, LPN, RN, Physician Assistant, Radiology, Laboratory Tech, and Surgical Tech. We are continuing to grow to include other professions.

• Representing the Professional & Technical Department in Washington, D.C. when new members of the Union were questioning whether the Union was able to address issues relevant to them as professionals (such as licensure, continuing education, scope of practice, short staffing mandatory overtime etc.). I stressed to them the importance of becoming involved in the Union. I told them that there is a Respiratory Therapy Committee which works with the Professional Technical Department to identify and address professional and technical issues.

• The next project that the Respiratory Therapy Committee is working on is to establish a Masters level Anesthesia Assistant program in New York. We are working to pro-

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Portrait of 1199 Respiratory Therapist Delegate Lydia Ford, In Her Own Words ...continued vide an opportunity for Respiratory Therapists with a baccalaureate degree to advance their training and education and to establish some new, higher earning jobs for Respiratory Therapists. We look forward to working with Legislators, Anesthesiologists and Nurses to help us establish this program. Anesthesia Assistant Masters programs already exist in other states, and these programs have been very successful, not just for Respiratory Therapists, but for other allied health professions as well.

My work with the 1199 Union, The Institute, and hospital management has taught me that working together as a

team to solve problems can bear more fruit. I am proud of the many years I have worked as a Delegate to help solve labor management issues. I have a passion for helping others. I have worked with coalitions over the years to solve problems. My work with 1199 SEIU has given me the courage to run as the next City Council representative of Brooklyn’s 45th District in 2009.

I encourage more professionals to become Delegates and Organizers in 1199 SEIU. It is important for us to come together, get more involved, and strengthen our Professional and Technical Department in the Union.

Continuing Problems with New York’s Social Work Licensing Law It has been over four years since the social work licensure law went into effect on September 1, 2004. While it was a significant achievement to win licensure for social workers in New York—we had been one of the few states where social work was an unlicensed profession—there have been some significant unforeseen consequences. One of our members’ biggest concerns is the very restrictive interpretation of who is eligible for the Clinical Social Worker license (the LCSW). Other problems that have surfaced have to do with many eligible social workers having missed the grandfathering period, the problem with the 2010 exemption for some state agencies, and problems many have had in passing the Masters Social Work licensing exam (the LMSW).

The restrictiveness of the LCSW license has resulted in a number of our social workers who work in hospital settings, outside of psychiatry or outpatient mental health, being denied the ability to either be grand-parented into the LCSW license without exam or to sit for the LCSW 6

exam. Lorelei Fields from St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital is one such social worker. She has worked in the hospital for over twenty-five years doing complicated discharge planning and has supervised numerous social work students over her tenure. Yet when she applied, she was denied.

What adds insult to injury is that one of the students whom she supervised, with much less experience than Ms. Fields, was successful in her application for the LCSW. “As a former Certified Social Worker, (CSW), I felt insulted and degraded by my own profession,” stated Fields.

“The decision felt arbitrary and discriminating. Hospital social workers were again being designated as non -clinical. The irony of this situation is that hospital social work, (especially discharge planning), requires a highly skilled clinician due to the time constraints. We are often forced to engage, assess, and create plans within minutes of meeting patients. The arbitrary decision to label hospitals as non-clinical settings is not only fragmenting to the profession of social work, but is inaccurate.”

Lorelei Fields, LMSW, has worked at St. Luke’s for over 25 years.

1199 has been working these problems through in the 1199 Social Work Committee and in joint committees with NASW. Recently 1199 representatives participated in two meetings with the Office of Professions in the New York State Education Department on this issue. The Union is working to have the settings that qualify one to be eligible to sit for the LCSW be greatly expanded, as well as attempting to expand the meaning of “clinical” beyond the presently very narrow definition.

1199 is also working with NASW to push the legislature and the State Education Dept. to reopen the grandfathering period, as well as extend the exemptions for state agencies that are due to expire 2010.

All these efforts will require the participation of our social work members. We will be sending out a social work survey in early 2009 that will give us the needed information about your experiences with the social work licensure law to share with NASW and the NYS Education Depart-

ment, Office of the Professions. It is also important for us to obtain as much anecdotal information about social workers who applied for the LCSW and were denied.

As for the problems some of our members are having in passing the LMSW exam, the Union held a very successful LMSW Prep Course this past fall, through the Institute for Continuing Education. It was attended by over seventy social workers. Another LMSW Prep Course will be held sometime in the Spring of 2009. Please watch your Union bulletin board and mail for further details.

We also have a very active Social Work Committee that meets on a monthly basis to address concerns of importance to social workers. To join the Social Work Committee or to share your experiences about applying for the LCSW, please contact Cynthia Wolff, Professional Technical Specialist at (212) 261-2368 or cynthiaw@1199.org.

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1199SEIU Radiology Techs Win Differential for Contrast Injection 1199SEIU reached an agreement with the League of Voluntary Hospitals for additional compensation for those radiology technologists who perform the task of injecting contrast material. This is generally done in CAT Scan and MRI. Radiology techs who are trained, certified, and assigned to perform this duty will receive a $2.00/hr differential on top of whatever their base pay is.

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Background.

The Result.

In 2006 New York State passed legislation that expanded the scope of practice of radiology techs to perform contrast injection. This is a duty that had previously been performed by RN’s, PA’s, or MD’s. It has been in the scope of practice of radiology techs in most states, but not in New York until this law passed. To perform this duty the techs must be trained and certified. Starting in 2007 we started to see a number of hospitals training their techs for contrast injection, and naturally we’ve been approaching those hospitals for additional compensation. We reached an agreement with one hospital, and then found out that the League of Voluntary Hospitals blocked that agreement, claiming that the injection of contrast material did not constitute “a substantial modification,” and thus did not merit any additional compensation. The Union fought against this, and the result was having Leaguewide negotiations on this issue.

Techs specifically assigned to perform this duty, will receive a $2.00/hour differential on top of their pay.

This is very significant for a couple of reasons. First, it is very unusual to get a League-wide agreement on this type of issue. Second, $2.00/hr is a substantial differential. It comes to $3,900 annually for a 37.5 hour-per-week worker and $3,640 for a 35 hour-perweek worker. Most differentials of this type in 1199 are anywhere from $500/yr to $2,000/yr. It should be noted that only those techs who are specifically assigned to do this task will receive the differential.

Some hospitals have chosen to not have techs do this.

Others may decide to only have a certain number of techs assigned to this duty. It is important to see how your own hospital is organizing this work in the CAT Scan and MRI areas.

One Exception.

At the negotiations, one contentious issue was that management wanted two different tracks for this type of work: a straight differential for those hospitals where this task is performed frequently, and a differential that’s only paid for the times when the task is actually performed for those places where the techs only perform the procedure occasionally. The 1199 Radiology Committee was against this second track, claiming they were professionals and shouldn’t be paid a piece rate. It became clear that the only place insisting on this second method was Continuum (comprising the hospitals of St. Luke’s/Roosevelt, Beth Israel, and Long Island College Hospital). It was agreed that we would move ahead with the $2.00/hr straight differential for all the other hospitals, and would address Continuum’s alleged situation of this task only being done very occasionally in some of their hospitals. At this point the Continuum is not settled with regards to how the differential for contrast injection will be paid to their techs.

Good Results So Far. So far the results have been very positive. One hospital where this has been implemented has been Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. “It has made my job easier,” says Maimonides Cat Scan Tech Mary Nee. “It’s increased our productivity by increasing the work flow. I no longer have to call a nurse or a doctor to start an IV line for the contrast injection.” Nee went on to describe the changes in her job that comes with this task. “You’re a bigger part of the medical team. You have a bigger role in the total care of the patient. You have make sure that the IV isn’t infiltrating and that the patient is comfortable and isn’t having a reaction.”

Nee concludes, “I’m glad we’re doing it. At first some of us were reluctant to make this change. But now I feel it’s best both for the patients and for us that we’re doing this. It increases our level of professionalism.”

Mary Nee, CAT Scan Tech at Maimonides (top) says that the responsibility of contrast injection has made her a bigger part of the medical team. Bottom, with co-worker John Sottile.

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Laboratory Notes: Congratulations...

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And to Nelia Espinosa, Lab Technologist from NYU Medical Center, whose daughter Lynnette Lockhart also passed the New York State Bar Exam.

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To Yvonne Henry-Jarrett, Clinical Lab Technologist from Northshore University at Forest Hills, the proud mother of four children: Karonne, Khalil, Kareem, and Karlton.

Two of these kids, Karonne and Karlton, passed the November 2008 New York State Bar exam.

The 1199 SEIU family salutes and congratulates Nelia and Yvonne on their children’s accomplishments!

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V Grim Story Another Reminder of Crucial Role of Clinical Laboratory Technologist.

As reported recently on CBS News, a 32-year old patient went to a Brooklyn hospital suffering an infection. She thought she had a kidney stone. The hospital checked her out, and deciding there was nothing serious, sent her home. The next day the infection was raging, and led to the amputation of both her hands and her feet. How could this happen? According to the malpractice lawsuit filed, the hospital never performed a blood test. This test, which would have been performed by a licensed Clinical Laboratory Practitioner, would have isolated the causative organism that led to the infection, with such tragic results. Her tragedy could have been averted.

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1199 Laboratory Committee Continues With Agenda to Fight Shortage The Committee has been working to educate the public and the broader medical community on three related trends, which are all working together to create a serious personnel crisis in this profession:

Elmhurst Hospital PA’s Choose 1199 SEIU On January 28, 2009 the Physician Assistants at Elmhurst Hospital, Mt. Sinai Affiliation, voted 21-0 to be represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. According to Elmhurst PA Harry Beyer (pictured third from the right) the three main issues were job security, attaining a defined benefit pension plan, and “having a unified and professional voice in negotiating a fair salary for the PA’s.”

1. The present shortage facing the Lab profession.

2. The imminent retirement of a significant portion of the profession, making the shortage much worse.

3. The low wage level for this profession compared to other health professions of comparable education requirements.

Since December 2007, through the work of the Lab Committee, local hospital-based laboratory committees have been formed, which have organized their co-workers to effectively place the demand of a more just pay scale to the CEO’s of the hospitals, arguing this is a necessary step to address the critical shortage that exists. They have seen a varying degree of success in slowly raising the wage scales at some hospitals for lab techs, including St. Vincent’s Manhattan, Jamaica Hospital, Kingsbrook Jewish, Mt. Sinai Queens, Lutheran Medical Center, and NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases.

Other hospitals have acknowledged the need for higher compensation but have yet to implement it. Slowly but surely, 1199 lab techs are making progress. There is much work still to be done.

New Continuing Education Requirements Passed for all Physical Therapists & Physical Therapy Assistants On July 7, 2008 Governor Patterson signed into law a new requirement for continuing education for all registered Physical Therapists and Physical Therapy Assistants. Under the new law each Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant would be required to complete thirty-six (36) hours of continuing education during each three (3) year re-registration period.

The new law will take effect on September 1, 2009.

The Board of Regents will be meeting early next year to develop and adopt the new regulations governing the new continuing education requirement. Stay tuned for further information.

If you have any questions and/or concerns, please contact Farah Hargett, Professional Technical Specialist at 212- 261-2246 or farahh@1199.org.

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1199SEIU League Training & Upgrading Fund Institute For Continuing Education

SPRING 2009 ACADEMIC CALENDER SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6TH, 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Renal Disease: Acute to Chronic* 6 hrs, Interdisciplinary** John Jay College

Foundations in Surgical Technology 3 hrs, Surgical Techs Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 8:30am – 12:00pm

SATURDAY, MAY 16TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST)

Select Topics in Hospital Medicine 3 hrs, Physician Assistants Beth Israel Medical Center

TBD* 6 hrs, Respiratory Therapists New York Times Center

SUNDAY, MARCH 7TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27TH, 5:30pm – 9:00pm

Diabetes: A Silent Killer Development, Prevention, and Treatment 6 hrs, Multidisciplinary Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center

Physiology of Addiction 3 hrs, CASACs Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center

Accredited for Pharmacists & Pharmacy Techs, Nurses, and Dietitians.

Others will receive a certificate of attendance.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST)

SUNDAY, MARCH 15TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST) Legal Issues and the Future Role of Pharmacy Techs* 3 hrs, Pharmacists & Pharmacy Techs John Jay College SATURDAY, MARCH 28TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm Managing Crisis in Tough Economic Times 6 hrs, Social Workers Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center SATURDAY, APRIL 4TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST) Toxins in Everyday Life* 6 hrs, Interdisciplinary** New York Times Center WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 5:30pm – 9:00pm Food and Safety 3 hrs, Dietitians & Nutritionists Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm TBD 6 hrs, Laboratory Techs Cherkasky Davis/Conference Center

Sleep Disorders* 6 hrs, Interdisciplinary** 1199SEIU Auditorium SATURDAY, JULY 18TH, 7:45am – 3:30pm (EST) Breast Cancer* 6 hrs, Interdisciplinary** New York Times Center

* Live Videocast and Live Webcast ** Interdisciplinary seminars are usually accredited for Pharmacists, Respiratory Therapists, Dietitians, Radiologic Techs, Laboratory Techs, Social Workers, Physician Assistants, and Nurses. Please call for specific professions.

Register today. Call: 212-894-4390 Please call for specific location on each seminar.

Email: Institute @1199Funds.org www.1199Funds.org - click “Training & Employment,” and then on “Continuing Education.”

1199SEIU Professional & Technical Department Staff Listing and Areas of Responsibility Debora Hunte - Pharmacy, Laboratory, Surgical Technicians--212-857-4398 Dolores Chase - Imaging, Respiratory, EMS Workers--212-261-2385 Cynthia Wolff - Social Work, Dietitians--212-261-2368 Farah Hargett - LPN’s, Physician Assistants--212-261-2246 David Kranz, Director - All other professions not mentioned above--212-261-2494