Contents
FEATURES
10 Mental Block
A new federal law intended to ensure equal access to mental healthcare
for patients lacks teeth and is full of loopholes. By Heather Boerner
15 Group Therapy
In recent years, government experts as well as drug companies have
pushed mass screenings of patients for mental health problems. Could
this trend do more harm than good? By Matt Isaacs
18 Leader of the Pack
RN board member Carol Koelle is always out in front, whether
in nursing, organizing, or changing policy. By Sarah E. Clark
10
DEPARTMENTS
4 News Briefs
CHW RNs in California and Nevada broker landmark master
contract; CDC reaffirms standard of N-95 or better masks against
H1N1; Maine Coast nurses fight spike in health insurance costs;
Florida RNs prepare to introduce state ratio bill; Chicago RNs rally
to save county healthcare services; Ohio RNs monitor legislation and
work toward single-payer; RNs at Cypress Fairbanks form first PPC.
9 A Closer Look
Congress is determined to pass national healthcare reform legislation
that's touted to transform the system as we know it. But does it?
An examination of the bill reveals the good, the bad, and who benefits
the most. By Rose Ann DeMoro
4
on the cover: (Clockwise from top) Saint Francis
Memorial Hospital RNs Lonnie Kidd, Adele Maxie, and
Terri Mogensen celebrate their new groundbreaking
master contract covering 13,000 nurses with Catholic
Healthcare West. Photo by Lauren Reid.
OCTOBER 2009
W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G
REGISTERED NURSE
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