News

Read on to learn more about my bills and to see recent news:

May 4, 2010

April 29, 2010

(Denver) - Colorado moved closer to protecting hospital patients from dangerous health care workers today. In two unanimous votes, House Bills 1414 and 1415 passed out of the House Health and Human Services Committee.

Sponsors Representatives Debbie Benefield (D-Arvada/Westminster) and Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada) introduced their bills in response to the recent case of a surgical technician who exposed over 6,000 patients to hepatitis C by using syringes on herself and then returning them for use in patient care.
"Our proposed legislation will help put a stop to repeat offenders who move from facility to facility seeking drugs,"� said Rep. Benefield. "No one should have to worry about contracting a disease while undergoing surgery, and dangerous health care workers should never have a second chance to endanger patients."

"If the bill had been in place a few years ago, we could have caught the recently-sentenced surgical technologist before she exposed so many innocent victims to Hep-C while denying them their pain medication," said Rep. Gagliardi.  "As a nurse, I know how critical it is for health care workers to be trustworthy. Patients coming in for treatment should feel confident in the care they receive and curing one health problem should not expose you to another."

The legislation will help ensure hospitals and surgery centers do not inadvertently hire surgical staff with a criminal background or with a history of jeopardizing patient safety.  Because these surgical professionals have access to controlled substances and do such important work during surgery, the bills will require surgical technologists and surgical assistants to be registered with the state before working with patients.  Employers must verify that a prospective employee's registration is in good standing before he/she can start working in an operating room.  Additionally, if an employee is fired or disciplined, the employer must report this information to the state within two weeks.  

Lauren Lollini, whom Parker infected with hepatitis C, is thrilled at the committee passage of this legislation and submitted testimony in support of the bills: "When we enter the hospital or any health care facility, we expect to be safe.  I have found firsthand this is not always the case. Because I was put in contact with a surgical tech who was more concerned about her own high than the care of her patients, I will forever wear the label and bear the risks of someone with hepatitis C. I applaud both Representative Benefield and Gagliardi for their efforts to keep Colorado health care facilities safer places for all of us."

HB-1414 will now move to the House Floor and HB-1415 will move to the House Appropriations Committee.

April 25, 2010

(Denver) - Today, the Joint Select Committee on Child Welfare held its final meeting. The committee was charged with examining issues related to child welfare in Colorado and seeking steps that can be taken to ensure children in Colorado are protected.

“To me, there is no more important task than protecting our children,” said Sen. Linda Newell, Chair of the committee. “So much has been done to respond to problems in our systems of child protection, and I am pleased to see other legislators and community members taking notice and joining together to protect kids in our state.”

Sen. Newell is the sponsor of Senate Bill 171, one of the major child protection bills being considered this session to improve child protection in the state. The bill will create an independent office to oversee child protection and ensure accountability at all levels. Carrying the bill with Sen. Newell is Representative Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada), also a member of the committee.

Rep. Gagliardi said, “I remain committed to protecting children, families and counties to prevent any further tragedies.  My hope is that we learn the important lessons of the past and move the state forward in a positive direction.”

The committee heard testimony from stakeholders from all aspects of Colorado’s child protection system including Karen Beye, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services, members of the Child Welfare Action Committee, child protection advocates, county commissioners and social services directors, child welfare service providers, and the members of the public.

Rep. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins), a committee member and sponsor of House Bill 1226, another child welfare bill, said “Through testimony and dialogue in the Joint Select Child Welfare Committee, I’ve gained greater insights into the problems facing our child welfare system.  The Committee’s major goal is finding ways to protect children in the system.  I'm committed to ensuring that our children are safe and our families are made whole.”

The committee provided opportunity for legislators who may have less familiarity with the state child protection system. The committee heard a comprehensive presentation on work that has already been done to respond to child deaths in the system, discussed current work being done to improve the system, including pending legislation, and discussed other steps that can be taken to further protect Colorado’s children.

The General Assembly is considering the following legislation to improve child welfare in the state:

·        SB 171 (Newell, Gagliardi)
·        HB 1226 (Kefalas, Spence)
·        SB 152 (Newell, Gagliardi)
·        HB 1359 (McCann, Steadman)
·        SB 195 (Newell, Solano)

March 1, 2010

(Denver) - Representative Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada) is a nurse who wants more Coloradans to get jobs in nursing, and more Coloradans to get their healthcare from nurses.

Her bill heard today aims to increase the number of affordable and accessible nursing teaching programs in Colorado. Nurses will be encouraged to continue their education and to teach the next generation of medical professionals through a loan forgiveness program.  

Senate Bill 58 passed in the House Education Committee 11-0 today.

“Having worked most of my adult life the medical field, I know that the lack of nursing instructors in our colleges and universities is becoming a serious problem.  The Nursing Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program will encourage nurses to enter the field and share their skills.  This bill will make teaching more attractive, and by adding more teachers, the number of students can rise to meet demand,” said Rep. Gagliardi.  

Colorado suffers from a shortage of nurses and has little ability to train new nurses. There are simply too few nursing professors who are able and willing to teach nursing courses.  According to the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence, Colorado’s shortage of qualified nursing faculty (at its two-year nursing schools) is three times the national average.  

SB 58 provides up to $20,000 in loan forgiveness for students pursuing masters or doctoral degrees in exchange for a five-year teaching commitment at a Colorado school of nursing.  

The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Abel Tapia (D-Pueblo), now heads to the House floor for debate.

February 15, 2010

(Denver) - Representatives Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada) and Ken Summers (R-Lakewood) cleared a key hurdle in the fight against hunger today with the passage of House Bill 1022.  The bill promotes public-private partnerships to pair nonprofits and faith groups with those who need temporary assistance, while cutting down on overhead in the State’s Food Stamp program.  Additionally, Gagliardi’s measure will bring in a substantial amount of federal funding to help hungry families get back on their feet.  The bill passed 10-0 today with strong bipartisan support from the Health and Human Services Committee.

"We have an obligation to help less fortunate Coloradans combat their hunger," said Rep. Gagliardi. with 100% of food assistance federally funded, it is "unacceptable that any of Colorado’s families go hungry.  Additionally, SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or the food stamp program) is widely recognized as one of the most effective economic stimulus tools available."

Recent data has shown that Colorado is among the least efficient states in receiving and processing food stamp cases: only 55% of needy and eligible people are actually receiving food stamps.  "This lag makes it very difficult for anyone to combat the hunger of underprivileged men, women, and children.   This is not only an inexcusable moral problem, but also a statistical one, as Colorado has the fastest growing rate of children in poverty." Gagliardi said.  "By helping to partner nonprofits with the state, everyone can put their limited resources to more efficient use.  With food pantries strained to the limit, and 600 seniors waiting desperately on meals on wheels, we need the help of both volunteer groups and the state to make this right."

The bill directs the Colorado Department of Human Resources (CDHS) to develop a state outreach plan and partner with area nonprofit organizations and charities to promote access to federal food benefits through SNAP.  HB-1022 also directs DHS to implement a federally approved-policy which would expand eligibility and remove a complicated asset test for SNAP participation, saving the resources of the state and time for state workers.  SNAP benefits are 100% federally-funded with only administrative costs shared by the state and federal government at a 50/50 match. Increasing the number of households receiving benefits by just 10% could leverage an additional $45 million per year in federal funds for the state.

February 11, 2010

(Denver) -  Colorado's small towns are one step closer to having more doctors and nurses nearby.  House Bill 1138, sponsored by Representative Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada), encourages members of the health care industry to stay in the communities that really need them. The bill expands the Health Service Corps Program, a loan-repayment program for health care workers in rural and medically-underserved areas. 

The bill passed out of the House Health and Human Services Committee with a 9 to 1 vote this afternoon. 
 
According to the Federal Health Resources and Service Administration, Colorado needs to add at least 182 primary care physicians, 71 dentists, and 54 licensed mental health professionals to meet the existing needs of families living in medically-underserved areas of Colorado. Under Gagliardi’s proposal, if a medical professional makes a two-year commitment to provide primary health care services in rural areas, the Corps agrees to help pay off their student loans.
 
"With this bill, great physicians, dentists, and mental health professionals can afford to give back to communities where they are desperately needed, rather than being forced to leave in search of a higher wage," Rep. Gagliardi said.