Public Forum: Professional Coalition Panel Speaks to Defending Patient Care Against External Pressures

WASHINGTON, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  An alliance of 20 professional organizations and unions is sponsoring the first of a public forum series on common issues facing millions of workplace members April 15, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Washington Court Hotel on "Defending Patient Care Against External Pressures: Dilemmas and Possibilities."

The sponsoring alliance for the forum, "Professionals for the Public Interest" (PftPI), which was launched last year with eight national professional associations and 11 national unions plus the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), represents professionals in science, engineering, health, the arts, and human services.

According to the event organizers, a renowned expert panel will address these questions: When health care facilities respond to financial or political pressures in ways that adversely affect professional care and integrity, how should the professionals respond? What measures might policymakers, administrators, professionals, associations and unions take to protect professional integrity against external pressures?

WHAT:  Public Forum -- Defending Patient Care Against External Pressures

WHEN:  Thursday, April 15, 2-4 p.m.

WHERE:  Washington Court Hotel; Springwood Conference Room; 525 New Jersey Ave., NW; Washington, DC

WHO:

• Moderator -- Bob Edwards, radio show host, XM Satellite Radio
• Dawn Hobdy, manager, Office of Ethics and Professional Review, National Association of Social Workers
• Dr. David Keepnews, associate professor, Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, City University of New York
• Dr. Linda D. Green, associate program director at Prince George's Hospital Center

Organizations participating in PftPI have all endorsed a consensus statement, Defining Common Ground on Professional Integrity. The coalition advocates defending professional integrity against external pressures in the interests of the public.

For more information on the panelists, online registration for the free public forum and profiles of the organizations in the alliance: www.pftpi.org/.

Contact:  

Alexis Spencer Notabartolo (Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO) 202-638-0320; [email protected]

Gary Hubbard (United Steelworkers -- USW), 202-256-8125, [email protected]

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)