Michigan hospitals use staffing models that respond to patient needs, workforce availability and community demands. Mandated nurse staffing ratios would reduce flexibility and limit access to care across the state.
Michigan hospitals are focused on addressing staffing challenges and implementing safe nurse staffing models that provide the best quality care for their patients and communities. Legislation that proposes harmful government-mandated registered nurse (RN) staffing requirements would damage healthcare and communities by restricting important access to healthcare services for Michigan patients.
These types of proposals will not solve staffing shortages. Instituting a one-size-fits-all approach places hospitals in an untenable situation: either accept financial penalties for fulfilling the mission of providing care to those who need it or turn patients away and risk a worse outcome for a person in need of care. In addition, it will cost Michigan hospitals approximately $1.1 billion to comply with the potential law change, leading to hospital closures, removal of service lines such as obstetrics and ultimately higher healthcare costs. Overall, it will significantly prolong the time it takes for a patient to receive care in many communities.
A diverse coalition of healthcare, business and advocacy organizations signed a letter to members of the Michigan Legislature Nov. 7, 2023 opposing the proposed legislation which threaten to put patient care at risk across Michigan. The coalition emphasizes that mandatory nurse staffing ratios have a broader impact beyond hospitals alone, affecting all healthcare providers’ ability to hire nurses.
A survey of 109 Michigan hospitals conducted in July 2023 shows Michigan is at risk of losing up to 5,100 hospital beds across the state if this legislation is implemented. Michiganders do not deserve to lose access to care.
The loss in beds is equivalent to the total hospital bed capacity for New Hampshire and Maine combined.
Losing 5,100 beds is the equivalent to the state losing Michigan’s six largest hospitals.
The loss in statewide capacity would be the same as if all hospitals north of Grand Rapids and Flint closed.
Results from the MHA member survey indicate Michigan hospitals would need to hire at least 13,000 more nurses to comply with the mandated ratios, which is the equivalent of every licensed and working RN in the state of New Hampshire. This is despite a national nursing shortage that has Michigan hospitals currently seeking to hire 4,700 nurses.
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