TestimonyofKevinHefty,VicePresident,SEIUHealthcarePennsylvania
January23,2017
ZACH ZOBRIST
Sec retary-Treasu rer
Goodafternoon,mynameisKevinHeftyI’maVicePresidentatSEIUHealthcare
MORGAN
LINDSEY
Pennsylvaniaoverseeingourworkwiththeroughly1,200registerednurseswho
Execu tiv e Vice Pres id en t
workfortheCommonwealthinstateprisons,statehospitals,theDepartmentof
JESSE WILDERMAN
Healthandothersettings.ThesenursesarethebackboneoftheCommonwealth’s
Execu tiv e Vice Pres id en t
publichealthinfrastructure.
MATTHEW YARNELL
Pres iden t
CATHY BRADY
Vice Pres iden t
SARAH FISHBEIN
Vice Pres iden t
KEVIN HEFTY
Vice Pres iden t
AMANDA LAPINA
Vice Pres iden t
WENDELL ROYSTER
Vice Pres iden t
Executive Board
Susan Blaskowitz
Paulette Bobersky
Jennifer Burkett
Nancy Chamberlain
Craig Connor
Qwandisia Cooper
Cathy Curtin
Connie Cwikla
Angela DePatto
Lee Dolph
Margaret Durand
Brenda Fields
David Green
Danielle Hoffmaster
Russy Jean
Amy Kepple
Pamela Kramer-Schwarz
Stefan Martin
Bridgid Mentzer
Stephanie Messick
Nancy Miller
Brennan Mills
Jennifer Monaghan
Helen Noel
Jeanette Oakley
Linda Parlett
Matt Pulaski
Maria Razanauskas
Kathy Shaner
Tina Siegel
Christina Sloat
Paula Stellabotte
Tynia Stevens
Cathy Stoddart
Mimi Tambellini
Evelyn Thoroughgood
Ruth Visintainer
Steven Walls
Gail Wharfe
Cathy Williams
Sandra Williams
Scott Young
John Ziegler
Sandy Zimmerman
1500 North 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
717.238.3030
www.seiuhealthcarepa.org
SEIUHealthcarePAisthestate’slargestandfastestgrowingunionofnursesand
healthcareworkers,unitingnearly45,000nurses,professionalandtechnical
employees,directcareworkers,andserviceemployeesinhospitals,skillednursing
facilities,homeandcommunity-basedservices,andStatefacilitiesacrossthe
Commonwealth.
IappreciatetheopportunitytotestifyregardingGovernorWolf’sproposalto
potentiallycloseoneormoreStateCorrectionalInstitutionsbecauseofbudget
concerns.
Firstandforemost,weshouldallbeclearonwhyweareheretoday.Forthepast
twoyearsGovernorWolfhasintroducedresponsiblebudgetproposalsthatinclude
increasedrevenuetodealwithstructuraldeficitsandfundtheservicesthat
Pennsylvaniansneedandwant.
Republicanlegislatorshaverespondedbyrefusingtoconsidertheseproposalsto
eithermakecorporationsandthewealthypaytheirfairshareorenactanexcisetax
likeeveryotherstatewithgasfracking.Andtheresultisagapingbudgetdeficitthat
weallknewwouldresult.
TheCommonwealth’scorrectionsnursesopposethesepotentialclosingsandinstead
encouragethelegislaturetoenactcommonsense,sustainablerevenueincreases.
Unfortunately,baseduponwhatweareseeingfromtheRepublicanleadership,this
willlikelynothappenagaininthisbudgetcycle.
Sohereweare-forcedtomakeharddecisionsthatwillpotentiallymeanjoblosses
andotherhardshipsforCommonwealthemployeesandmajordisruptionsfor
inmatesandtheirfamilymembers.
Aswemovethroughthisprocess,theCommonwealthnursesencourageDOC
decisionstobeguidedbyanumberofcriteria:
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•
•
•
Whatisbestforthepublic’shealth?
WhatisleastdisruptivetoCommonwealthemployees?
Whatismostfiscallysoundinthelongtermratherthanlookingforshorttermsavings?
Andfinally,whatisthebestuseofexistingfacilitycapacity?
Anexampleofhowweshouldbeusingthesecriteriaappliestopotentiallyclosing
eitherSCIPittsburghorWaymart.Thesetwofacilitieshavethehighestperinmate
costand,onpaper,lookliketheywillsavetheCommonwealththemostmoneyif
closed.
Thesefacilitiesalsohavethehighestnumberofmentalhealthandmedicalbedsandwhichlikelydrives
thehighcostperinmate.ItisalsowellknownthatSCIPittsburgh’sproximitytohealthfacilitiesallows
theCommonwealthtotreatsomeverysickinmatesatalowercost.Ithasanoncologyunitandthose
inmatesiftransferredwouldlikelyneedtotraveltoPittsburghhospitalsfortreatment.
Closingeitherorbothoftheseinstitutionsmeanstransferringtheseexpensiveinmatestootherfacilities
thatmaynothavethecapacityorexperiencewithsuchachallengingpopulation.Anyshort-termsavings
willlikelybeoffsetbylonger-termperinmatecostsinthereceivinginstitutions.Infactin2005SCI
Pittsburghwasclosedbeforeonlytobere-openedin2007.
Iwanttobeclear–I’mnotrecommendingclosingFrackville,Mercer,orRetreatinsteadofWaymartor
Pittsburgh.I’monlysayingthatwhatmaylooklikeagooddealintheshorttermmaynotbethebest
choicebasedonthecriteriamentionedearlier.
Finally,IwouldencouragetheCommonwealthtoalsoconsideritsplansforNorristownStateHospitalat
thesametimeasitconsiderslookingtoCorrectionsforsavings.
AsthestatetransitionstheNorristownStatecivilpopulationintothecommunity,shouldweconsider
expandingtheforensicpopulationtheretorelievepressureatSCIsacrossthestatethatwillseetheir
populationincreaseifthereisaclosure?
PennsylvaniaalreadyinvestsheavilyintreatmentservicesprovidedbytheDepartmentofHuman
Services,includingforensicunitsthatspecializeintreatingpsychpatientswhohavebeenconvictedof
crimesorhavechargespending.Theseunitsarebetterpreparedtotreatinmateswithseriousmental
illnessthancorrectionalfacilities,andshouldbeexpandedtoalleviatetheovercrowdinginourprison
system.Pennsylvaniamadechangestoitstreatmentofthementallyillinthecorrectionalsystem
followingaUSDepartmentofJusticeinvestigationbutmovingindividualstofacilitiesspeciallyfocused
onthecareofthementallyillmaybetterservetheinterestsoftheimpactedindividualsaswellasthe
public.
TheCommonwealth’sinmatepopulationisessentiallyatoperationalcapacityandmovingbeyond
operationaltoemergencycapacitycreatespotentialcostsandhardshipsforemployeesandinmates.If
wehavefacilityandemployeecapacitythatcanbeusedinacost-effectiveway,weshouldconsiderit
andnotbesolelydrivenbythedesiretosavemoneyinthecurrentbudgetcycle.
Again,Ithankyouforthisopportunitytotestify.IappreciatethattheWolfAdministrationandDOC
havebeenputintoaverydifficultpositionbecauseofthefailureofRepublicanleadership.I’matleast
encouragedthatresponsiblepublicofficialsaretryingtosolvethischallengeandtheCommonwealth
nurseslookforwardtocontinuedparticipationinthisprocess.
Thankyou.