Assemblyman Cymbrowitz Lauds Passage of Bill to Establish Statewide Policies for Proper Patient Handling

June 18, 2013

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn) announced that the Assembly passed legislation he co-sponsored (A.2180-B) to create a “safe patient handling” policy for all health care facilities in New York State.

“Lifting patients not only puts nurses and staff in danger of injury, but also causes a great deal of anxiety and discomfort for patients,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said. “With a safe patient handling policy in place, health care employees would be able to provide patients with a more comfortable and consistent form of care.”

This measure creates an 11-member New York State Safe Patient Handling work group within the state Department of Health (DOH) tasked with submitting a policy statement to the commissioner of health by July 1, 2014. The statement would outline requirements and recommendations for developing and implementing a safe patient handling program for all health care facilities in the state, which would be made available by Jan. 1, 2015.

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz noted that lifting and moving patients every day can cause serious strain and sometimes career-ending injuries. “By establishing a statewide safe patient handling policy, we can protect nurses and health care staff, decrease lost work days and reduce worker compensation claims and lawsuits while allowing staff to focus on better quality care for their patients.”

All health care facilities would be required to file a plan of compliance with the DOH by July 1, 2015. Nursing homes would have to file a plan with the DOH by July 1, 2016. The bill would also require health care facilities to establish Safe Patient Handling Committees to assist with compliance and training requirements of the policy.

“This measure will help establish a cohesive policy, protecting our nurses and patients from injury, while ensuring our health care facilities are providing the best possible care,” Assemblyman Cymbrowitz said.

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