The Lynnfield Democratic Town Committee held its September meeting on Wednesday, the 26th. The guest speakers for the evening were advocating for a “No” vote for Ballot Question 1, which concerns implementing a limit on how many patients one nurse can be responsible for at a time.
From left to right: Martha Dwyer, Sara Richman, Victoria Nadel, Linda Auclair, Wendy Dixon, Diane Courtney
Linda Auclair, a nurse at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, and Victoria Nadel, an attorney for the Behavioral Health Alliance, expressed to the group their objections to this ballot question. Their reasons included a concern that smaller hospitals may have to close due to the cost of increasing staff, as well as wait times in emergency rooms. They also felt that this law would take away decision making from nursing staff. The audience, which included some registered nurses, asked many questions and had several comments to make to add to the lively conversation.
Advocates for a “Yes” vote will be speaking at the October meeting, so both sides of this hot-button issue will be heard. The public is invited to attend. The meeting will be on October 17th, 2018, at 6:45 PM, at the Al Merritt Community Room, 600 Market Street, Lynnfield.