STATE REPRESENTATIVE MAUREE GINGRICH’S

OFFICES ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU….

District Office: 445 W. Penn Avenue, Cleona Square, Cleona, PA 17042 (717) 270-1905
Harrisburg Office: 430 Irvis Office Building, PO Box 202101, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2101
(717) 783-1815 Office Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Website: RepGingrich.com E-mail: mgingric@pahousegop.com FALL 2010

House Passes Bill

Mauree Gingrich to Ensure Patient Safety
State Representative
101st Legislative District
in Operating Rooms
It is always satisfying to see a piece of legislation you sponsored signed
Dear Friends and Neighbors, into law, but when your legislation saves lives, its passage takes on an even
deeper meaning.
While summer has been a won-
I sponsored legislation that is designed to improve patient safety and cut
derful time to enjoy family time and
down on mistakes in hospital operating rooms. My legislation will require hos-
some record-breaking very hot
pitals and health care facilities to have a circulating nurse in the operating room
weather, the fall is approaching
Dearwith
Neighbor, during procedures using general anesthesia or deep sedation.
and it we all have additional
A circulating nurse is a highly trained registered nurse who serves as head
challenges. The good news is
nurse in the operating room. He or she is responsible for patient safety through
that the state budget was passed
oversight and ensuring that all operating room equipment is present, sterile and
on time for the first time in the past
in proper working order. In addition, circulating nurses are trained to recognize
eight years! The reality, however,
signs of distress in patients under sedation and to act accordingly.
is that it is far from perfect. Only
As a former health care professional and current member of the House
days after the budget was signed
Health and Human Services Committee and the Aging and Older Adult Ser-
by the governor, we learned that
vices Committee, I introduced this legislation to ensure that this vital patient
the additional federal stimulus
safety measure is implemented, and to provide patients with added assurance
funding that was factored into the
that they are receiving the best quality care. Countless lives have been saved
budget calculations was not going
thanks to circulating nurses.
to be forthcoming. A plan for the
Pennsylvania will join 38 other states that require a circulating nurse in the
tolling of I-80 was denied by the
operating room when sedation is necessary. Many Pennsylvania hospitals
federal government, leaving us
already take this precaution. However, until now, it was not required.
with a significant transportation
deficit. The sour icing on the cake
is the projected pension spike that
threatens to have a lasting nega-
tive impact on us at both the state
and local level.
These significant shortfalls must
be addressed early this fall so we
can create a realistic and sustain-
able budget in 2011. I remain
committed to putting controls on
government spending, not just talk-
ing about it. It is our responsibility
to assess all government programs
and services, determine their value
and outcomes and ultimately im-
prove efficiencies or eliminate anti-
quated or unnecessary elements. I
am looking forward to working with
you to accomplish what we all want
-- a state government that is effec-
tive and makes us proud.

Rep. Gingrich at Republican Policy Committee hearing in August on the

shortcomings of Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law website.

RepGingrich.com
 Pension Reforms Fall Short
The House-approved plan to
reform the state’s ailing pension
systems is a good start. I supported
several amendments that would pro-
vide for real reform. The plan reverts
back to the pension formula that was
in place in 2000 including increased
vesting periods, increased retirement
ages, and caps on increases to save
taxpayers money.
I supported amendments by my
Republican colleagues to House
Bill 2497 that would have further
softened the financial blow that is
coming in 2012 when the state’s
contribution to the plans is scheduled
to rise sharply, but a vote on these
amendments was blocked.
While we approved major reforms
to the state pension systems, I want-
ed those reforms to go much further.
Cost-saving amendments that were
not considered would:
 Establish a statewide defined
contribution plan for future state and
local public employees, including
public school teachers.
 Convert PSERS to a defined
contribution/defined benefit plan for
future employees.
 Allow federal stimulus money
not targeted to a specific program to
cover PSERS’ unfunded liability;
 Minimum contribution rates to
eliminate future spikes in contribution
rates.
 Increase PSERS employer con-
tribution rate to allow school districts
to pay off shortfalls before the pro-
jected rate spike.
 Removal of the cap on school
district reserve balances for future
pension contributions, permitting
school districts to contribute more
and taxpayers to save in the future.
Pennsylvania is currently facing a
multi-billion dollar unfunded liability
in its pension systems. The changes
contained in HB 2497 will not affect
retirement benefits for existing SERS
or PSERS members. Instead, they
will apply to new hires. The plan will
help address future expenses and
will enable the state and school dis-
tricts to better manage their annual
pension obligations.
Both retirement systems are
funded by employee and employer
contributions and investment earn-
ings. Lagging employer contributions
and a down economy are largely
responsible for the pension crisis that
will require an estimated 30 percent
increase in employer contributions in
2012, if not addressed by legislative
action.
To help avert a crisis, it was nec-
essary to restructure the plan for
future employees by changing con-
tribution rates, extending the time it
takes for a new employee to become
vested, increasing the retirement age
and eliminating the lump sum payout
option.
The pension system will look dif-
ferent for future employees. Changes
were necessary to smooth out what
would have been a certain fiscal di-
saster. It is unfortunate we were not
permitted to do more.
The pension bill passed by a wide
margin in the House and now rests
with the Senate where I am hopeful
it will be further amended to include
necessary reforms.

Table Games Revenue Should Support

Property Tax Relief
Legislation to allow slot machine gambling in Commonwealth passed in 2004 on the promise that it was to
provide substantial property tax relief to Pennsylvania citizens. Six years later, the relief we have seen falls far
short of substantial.
Now we have table games and the bill that was passed to allow this expansion of gambling in Pennsylvania
provided no promise of tax relief. In fact, I did not vote for table games because I believe it offers Pennsylvania
taxpayers no relief of any kind.
Senate Bill 711 was rushed through the General Assembly and a conference committee and did not contain
sufficient reforms to correct problems already plaguing the gaming industry in Pennsylvania. Further, I believe
that 100 percent of state proceeds from table games should be directed toward property tax relief. I supported
an amendment that would have done just that.
I am disappointed that the legislation still allows for a major
conflict of interest in that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control
Board can conduct its own background checks and those of
vendors and licensees through its Bureau of Investigation
and Enforcement. Many of my Republican colleagues and I
believe that the state police or the Office of Attorney General
– both law enforcement agencies – should conduct the back-
ground investigations and have greater oversight regarding
law enforcement.
Although we have been able to put mechanisms in place to
increase transparency and accountability in the state’s gaming
industry, our work in this regard is far from over.

For More Information Visit RepGingrich.com Today!


Gingrich appears with nursing students following a speaking
engagement on HACC’s Lebanon Campus. Gingrich will be profiled
in an upcoming feature story in the college’s fall newsletter.
New Website
Available for
Electric Consumers
Pennsylvania consumers who are shopping for a
competitive electric generation supplier know that the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is offering
a one-stop shop website for residential, commercial and
industrial customers.
The website includes information about electric shop-
ping, what it is, how to shop and which suppliers are
available, as well as the PUC’s list of competing suppliers
and the Office of Consumer Advocate’s Shopping Guide
pricing information. A ZIP-code search feature is also
available so consumers can see all suppliers and offers
serving a given area.
For a link to the website and further information about
electric rate information, visit my website at RepGingrich.
com.

Gingrich Aims to Reduce Infections in Hospitals

Bill would mandate certification for sterile processing technicians
Nowhere is it more critical to
maintain a clean, sterile environ-
ment than in hospitals. Yet countless
people die each year, not from the
illness or affliction that brought them
into the hospital, but from the infec-
tion that they may have contracted
while a patient.
According to a study published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine,
pneumonia and sepsis, a blood
infection caused by bacteria, are
common threats to patients in hos-
pitals all across the United States. In
fact, the study found that these two
infections alone claimed the lives
of 48,000 patients who contracted
the infections while hospitalized in
2006.
The level of concern about hospi-
tal-based infections is rising sharply,
particularly as infections grow more
drug resistant. The costs for treat-
ment, increasing mortality rates and
rising liability are putting greater
emphasis on prevention.
One leading cause of hospital-
based infection is the use of medical
tools that have not been properly
sterilized. Sterile processing techni-
cians are responsible for sterilizing
all durable medical equipment.
These are reusable medical devices
that are routinely used in life-saving
medical procedures and daily patient
care.
In Pennsylvania, those responsible
for ensuring that all surgical equip-
ment is thoroughly processed and
sterilized are often entry-level employ-
ees with little education or training.
Physicians must be able to perform
surgery without fear that patient safety
will be jeopardized as a result of the
instruments used.
Currently, Pennsylvania law does
not require sterile processing tech-
nicians to be certified or undergo
continuing education in sterile pro-
cessing techniques. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has
published guidelines for sterilization
and disinfection of healthcare facili-
ties, but the absence of specific laws
leaves hospitals to establish their own
procedures and results vary. I am
preparing legislation that will require
sterile processing technicians to be
trained and state certified.
As we design the certification
plan, I am seeking input from the
Pennsylvania Department of Health,
which would oversee and regulate
the certification process, as well
as the International Association of
Healthcare Central Service Materi-
als Management, the Association of
Operating Nurses and The American
Association of Advancement of
Medical Instrumentation.
Just as infections have grown
resistant to antibiotics and other
treatments, today’s medical equip-
ment, which includes robotics, has
also made sterilization more chal-
lenging. This bill will require continu-
ing education in order to maintain
certification.
State certification would man-
date that technicians be trained in
basic microbiology to understand
infection control and prevention
of cross-contamination. Training
would include medical terminology
to better understand the practices
and procedures used in the oper-
ating room and the needs of the
doctors and staff there.
New Jersey is the only state
that requires certification of sterile
processing technicians. However,
several states are in the process of
implementing state-mandated cer-
tification based on the New Jersey
model.
With the cost of infections so
high, prevention is key. Certification
will lead to a higher level of compe-
tency and patient care, and continu-
ing education will ensure that those
high standards are maintained.

For More Information Visit RepGingrich.com Today!

 Decision to Raid
MCare Fund Spells
Trouble for Taxpayers
The Rendell administration is appealing a court deci-
sion ordering the administration to return the more than
$800 million that it raided from the Medical Care Avail-
ability and Reduction of Error Fund (MCare).
Last fall I protested a move to raid the state’s medical
malpractice insurance fund to fill a state budget shortfall.
Following heated debate on the House floor, the measure
passed and was immediately challenged by the medical
community. This spring, Commonwealth Court ordered This spring, I had the extreme pleasure of serving as
that the money be put back. commencement speaker for Harrisburg Area Community
MCare is a medical liability trust fund mandated by College. I have enjoyed a long association with HACC’s
the state that requires physicians and medical facilities Lebanon campus where I serve on a number of task forces. I am
throughout Pennsylvania to pay into it. The fund was es- particularly proud of the work we are doing on the Nursing Task
tablished to cover exorbitant medical malpractice claims. Force. (L-R) Kathleen Kramer, V.P. HACC-Lebanon; Gingrich;
There is no cap on malpractice awards in Pennsylvania and Sally Klein who serves on HACC’s board of trustees.
and this fund was making it possible for medical profes-
sionals to continue practicing in the Commonwealth. The
Rendell administration had no business taking it and the
court agrees. Property Tax/Rent
Democrat leadership in the House drained the $100
million to help cover expenditures in last year’s bloated Rebate Application
Deadline Extended
$27.8 billion budget. The court ordered the Rendell ad-
ministration to return the money and an additional half
billion dollars it wrongfully transferred from the Health
Care Providers Retention Account to the General Fund. The deadline to apply for the state’s Property Tax/Rent
While the medical community won its initial court Rebate program has been extended until Dec. 31.
battle, the administration’s appeal suggests the war is Eligible participants can receive a rebate of up to $650
far from over. based on their rent or property taxes paid in 2009. The
program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65

Rendell Transportation years or older, widows and widowers 50 years or older,

and those 18 years or older with disabilities.

Funding Plan Unveiled

In late August, House and Senate members
were briefed on Gov. Ed Rendell’s plan to fund
Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure needs.
The governor’s proposal would generate $1 billion
in new taxes and fees for road and bridge repair by
enacting an 8 percent tax on oil company profits and
instituting 64 driving fee increases.
While acknowledging that the state’s infrastruc-
ture is in need of repair, some House Republicans
have questioned the lack of cost-saving initiatives
in the governor’s plan. They have been advocating
several long-term transportation funding alternatives
that would not further burden taxpayers with new
or higher taxes, including developing public-private
partnerships, merging the Turnpike Commission into
PennDOT, and considering competitive contracting
to help contain future costs. Some legislators have
also questioned the constitutionality of the governor’s
plan to forbid oil companies from passing the tax onto
consumers. For the latest news on this story, visit
PAHouseGOP.com.
Eligibility income limits for homeowners are set at the
following levels, excluding 50 percent of Social Security,
Supplemental Security Income, and Railroad Retirement
Tier 1 benefits:
 $0 to $8,000, maximum $650 rebate
(Homeowners and renters)
 $8,001 to $15,000, maximum $500 rebate
(Homeowners and renters)
 $15,001 to $18,000, maximum $300 rebate
(Homeowners only)
 $18,001 to $35,000, maximum $250 rebate
(Homeowners only)
Residents are reminded to provide all the necessary
income, property tax or rental information required to
process claims quickly and accurately. Claim forms are
available by contacting my district office at (717) 270-
1905, or by visiting my website at RepGingrich.com.

For More Information Visit RepGingrich.com Today!