There's a checker at the Target on NE 122nd that's closing this weekend that also works at Emanuel in the billing unit. She commented that she's also at risk of being laid off at the hospital; at least Target was able to offer her a job at the Cascade Station Target, though the Target job is a second job for her. It makes one wonder about the validity of the unemployment numbers.

This won't build any confidence for those seeking help from the medical community.

We get after public safety when negligence is perceived, screaming for accountability. Why do the medical professionals get a pass?

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/08/preventable_errors_killed_32_p.html

...and these are the ones we know about

I, too, take the "employment" numbers with a grain of salt. Full time? Part time? Minimum wage jobs? Jobs with partial or no benefits? Are they counting folks who have given up and fallen off the unemployment rolls? Nobody is saying.

While listening to President Obama's State of the Union speech, I heard him say that 95% of Americans made $90,000- $100,000 a year. I heard it, although I thought at the time that I MUST have heard wrong.

There's no way on earth that's true.

In third world countries families are expected to stay in hospitals to tend to their sick relatives. In our family we hVe done this in PDX hospitals Nd this has save a life in at least two instances. Is the US a third world country?

While listening to President Obama's State of the Union speech, I heard him say that 95% of Americans made $90,000- $100,000 a year. I heard it, although I thought at the time that I MUST have heard wrong.

Agreed, you must have heard wrong.

President Obama did not say,"that 95% of Americans made $90,000- $100,000 a year."

He said that 98% of Americans make under $250,000 a year. He was talking about tax rates for those who make more than $250,000.

I just checked the full text of his speech and didn't find what I was sure I heard so thanks for the clarification. Still not sure what happened to the usually-reliable aural units.

Unemployment numbers only count those who are actively receiving unemployment benefits.

They do not count:

1. Those who have exhausted benefits,
2. Those who are denied or otherwise not eligible for benefits,
3. Under-employed workers
4. Job seekers who are discouraged and give up looking for work

Two of our daughters are nurses in Vnacouver - one at SW WA Medical Center and the other with Legacy at Salmon Creek. Staffs at both are being reduced - something that typically happens only when the economy is really in the tank and/or there is a crushing load on non-paying patients.

Why? Try a major cut in medicare payment allowances. (Yes, it was delayed 2 months, but it is still going to happen under Obamacare.)

As I understand it, Legacy is simply trying to make cuts where it possibly can, minimizing it's impact to patients.

To put it on a personal level, if you take a cut in pay, I would bet you try your best to reduce expenses. Payroll is the #1 expense. Remember they are non-profit, there is no other action that they can reasonably take.

The use of the word non-profit applied to any healthcare provide is interesting to say the least....

Anyone who is cutting unit secretaries/clerks either has no real idea of what they do, or has never been a patient in a hospital or both. Unit clerks are of huge importance to providing safe medical care. I don't think they can be eliminated and maintain the same quality of care. Give me a red pen and their budget...I'll find something else to cut that doesn't affect patient safety.