National Nurses United

Profile:FINAL 12/18/08 11:05 PM Page 13 Recently, Kaufman has found that she needs to be as strong an speaking patients. She found a job as a registered nurse at San advocate for her patients with the health insurance side of Kaiser as Quentin state prison, caring for inmates participating in a boot campshe is on the medical side. She has to be careful that the patients she's style rehabilitation program for nonviolent offenders. She said it was seeing are active Kaiser members; otherwise they might receive a bill wonderful to see the young men evolve and start thinking of themin the mail that they can't afford. This fall, she has been encouraging selves as worthy of respect, and she helped that process along by her patients to hurry and fill their prescriptions early because come treating them as she would any other patient. "I don't even know Jan. 1, their deductibles restart and they will have to pay more out of what they did, and I didn't care," she said. "They were my patients." Looking ahead to the struggle for a national system of guaranteed pocket for the same medicines. The other day, Kaufman had to accompany the mother of two healthcare, Kaufman believes she can contribute to the effort by conasthmatic boys to the pharmacy to sort out their prescription bene- tinuing to advocate for immigrants and dispelling some of the common myths about their burdens and fits. The woman had been paying $80 per contributions to the healthcare system. inhaler for her sons because she hadn't yet met the $250 deductible for each kid. She "We see so many patients that Americans cannot recognize the real solution to our healthcare crisis until they start was reluctant to buy more inhalers, but Kaufcan't afford the care, so they seeing the real problem (the private health man learned through the pharmacy clerk go without. People have insurance industry) and stop blaming certain that one boy had met the deductible and the insurance one month, but groups. "I always hear people say, 'Immicost was now $20. next month, who knows? grants are a drain on society,'" said Kaufman. Because Kaufman sees so many of her It should not be a part of "I hear it from even some of my coworkers or patients struggling to keep their families our job to think about the other nurse leaders. Even other Hispanics." healthy without adequate help or medical finances, but it is now." She said many people don't understand that care, she is a big believer in a single-payer, guaranteed system of healthcare. "That's our dream," said Kaufman. the vast majority of immigrants pay taxes, and studies show that "We see so many patients that can't afford the care, so they go with- immigrants largely contribute more financially than they use in servout. People have insurance one month, but next month, who knows? ices. "I would like to help the board change attitudes about immiIt should not be a part of our job to think about the finances, but it is grants," said Kaufman. "We need to show people more of the facts." I now." When Kaufman was in her early 20s working as a psychiatric technician, she said she "fell in love with nursing" and decided to go Lucia Hwang is editor of Registered Nurse. back to school to earn her nursing degree. She graduated in 1983 and first worked in the intensive care unit for a veterans home in Napa County. She eventually found a recovery room job at Kaiser under some unusual circumstances: she lost the first Kaiser position she accepted because another RN filed a grievance, arguing that she should have gotten the job because she had more seniority. The nurse won her grievance, and Kaufman lost the job. Fortunately, she landed another Kaiser position a few weeks later. Name: Mirthia Kaufman, RN Instead of being upset about losing the first job due to the conFacility: Kaiser Permanente, Napa tract, Kaufman said she remembers being impressed that the conand Solano, Calif. tract was enforced. "I thought, 'CNA really does care about what's Unit: Outpatient clinic for health fair,'" said Kaufman. "That's when I realized the importance of knoweducation ing my contract." Nursing for: 25 years Kaufman became such a resident expert at helping nurses interOn CNA/NNOC board since: 2006 pret and enforce the Kaiser contract that she quickly became a nurse Sign: Libra representative. From there, her involvement with CNA/NNOC deepNursing pet peeve: When nurses ened. She became an alternate, and then a regular member of the complain about the union, but they don't get involved. Kaiser bargaining team and has since helped negotiate two contracts Favorite work snack: Trail mix and lived through the seminal Kaiser strikes of 1997. "I learned so Latest work accomplishment: Helping negotiate much from bargaining, it's like taking a college course," said Kauftransition for nurses for the new Kaiser Vacaville man. "I learned what to say and what not to say. I learned that they and Vallejo facilities can even read into your demeanor. I learned to have a poker face. I Color of favorite scrubs: Lavender learned that even where you sit makes a difference. Everything I Hobbies: Birdwatching learned, I continue to use in our meetings with Kaiser." Favorite movie: The Sound of Music In addition to immigrants, Kaufman has worked with other Secret talent unrelated to nursing: Cooking Peruvian groups traditionally denied adequate healthcare. In the 1990s, when food Kaiser was laying off nurses, Kaufman lost her main recovery room position – but held onto her part-time work educating Spanish- Profile DECEMBER 2008 W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G REGISTERED NURSE 13

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