CNA GETS INVOLVED IN BOARD 2 CHALLENGERS BACKED A.V. HOSPITAL RACE.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The union that is seeking to represent Antelope Valley Hospital nurses has entered the political fray of the hospital board election, endorsing two challengers in the seven-candidate race.

The California Nurses Association, which has been campaigning to organize registered nurses at the 378-bed district hospital, has thrown its support behind Lawrence Caird, a marketing manager for a non-profit health care organization, and retired hospital nurse June Snow.

``We endorsed them because they are two candidates who seem to be both pro-patient and consumer and also at the same time very supportive of the nurses in their efforts to seek professional organization,'' said Liz Jacobs, a CNA spokeswoman. ``They both have health care backgrounds, and we feel there needs to be more candidates on the board who really come from a health care background to understand the new concerns about patient care.''

Incumbents Dr. Don Bean and Gary Hill face five challengers in the Nov. 5 election. The other challengers are business development manager John Misurek; Dr. Don Parazo; and business owner Ronald Tisbert.

Hill said he doesn't think the CNA endorsements will have any impact on his campaign.

``My campaign will be based on the quality of the work that has taken place in the last four years, the overall improvement in care that's provided at the hospital, the additional equipment and buildings, and the goals that we as a team set for the future,'' Hill said. ``What's happened the last four years speaks for itself.''

Hill said the hospital, which was once in financial disarray, is now fiscally strong and has increased staff by more than 200 workers. The hospital has hiked employee pay, increased services to Palmdale and surrounding communities by opening up clinics, and recruited more specialists to the area like neurosurgeons, he said.

The hospital and the CNA are awaiting a decision from an administrative law judge on a state Public Employment Relations Board complaint that accuses the hospital of interfering with nurses' attempts to unionize.

The allegations involve a recent state law that the CNA contends allows it to represent registered nurses at the hospital after a majority of them signed union-authorization cards.

Hospital officials say that, in their reading of it, the law doesn't supersede a hospital policy that calls for a secret ballot election.

Caird, a retired administrator with the Veterans Administration, is the marketing manager for the Valley Child Guidance Clinic. He said is concerned about reports of mental health beds not being used by the hospital.

``My interest has grown from watching reports in the paper about problems that have happened at the hospital, about beds being closed. We have way too few mental health beds,'' Caird said. ``I think there's a lack of appropriate concern for the needs of specialty patients, psychiatric patients being one. I'm also concerned that the hospital is gaining a reputation as being anti-nurse.''

Hospital officials have said that mental health patients have been transferred out to other facilities at times because there is not enough qualified nurses to staff the beds.

Caird said he was flattered by the CNA endorsement and favors unionization of nurses.

``I think that would be a positive step. Nurses are people who assure quality of care at a hospital. I was a regional public affairs director for the VA and I've seen the bad things that can happen. When quality gives way to the bottom line, it's a recipe for disaster. They need this union that will help them work together with management to make sure the quality is there as well as a balanced budget.''

Snow retired two years ago after working 20 years at Antelope Valley Hospital, most them as an administrative coordinator. She also worked in home health care and in mental health.

She is currently chief executive officer of a company that provides educational services and diets to diabetics. She is a past president of the Southern California Association of Nurse Recruiters and has a masters degree in human resources.

``I believe I can really do a good job and help them in their current situation. The hospital is having some problems maintaining staffing. They have had to close some beds which is dangerous in our community,'' Snow said. ``It's one thing to be shifted to another hospital, but when you have to go to Los Angeles to find beds, you don't have your own doctor or anything. ''

She said her experience in recruiting and retaining nurses gives her ``unique insight in assisting the hospital...''

Snow said she has no problems with the current board, but said the panel lacks a representative for the health-care consumer. ``I think that's me,'' Snow said.

Snow said she was pleased with the CNA endorsement. As for unionization, Snow said she may want hear more from the administration side, but said, ``I think that in some personnel issues the hospital could perhaps benefit by being accountable to an organization like the CNA. I don't think having nurses represented by a labor organization is a death toll. Other hospitals have nurses unions, and they all seem to be doing OK.''

Hill questioned whether the CNA endorsements will carry any weight with voters.

``I think endorsements are valuable if the organization that is providing the endorsement is perceived as being a valuable organization,'' Hill said. ``I think the current issue (of unionization) has shown to me that the CNA really has not been pushing for improved quality of care because of the methods they have used in going about their organizing efforts. If they were really concerned about the quality of patient care then a secret-ballot election would be a simple thing to have.''