The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 41

C8 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR SUNDAY, JULY 14, 1996 STAFFil'G Continued from Page 1 Ion they voted CLEAN HOUSE AND CLEAN UP! Sell no longer needed items through STAR and NEWS CLASSIFIEDS CALL 633-1212 safe," said one nurse. Another agreed that "physically, I'm exhausted when I get home." Both nurses asked for anonymity. Moreover, the addition of the techs has been a cultural shock at the women's hospital, which began with the premise that all nurses would be registered nurses. Reed said the staffing accusations left the hospital "very surprised, shocked. But you have to take It very seriously.

"We've looked at everything and feel good about what we've done" In setting staff levels. Reed said quality of care has not been affected and patients have expressed satisfaction with their treatment. He said the Indianapolis hospital ranked In the top 10 percent of all Columbia system hospitals in a patient satisfaction survey conducted by the Gallup polling organization earlier this year. After the health department's February Inspection, the hospital hired a Texas-based consultant to look at Its staffing patterns. The consultant reported that "the staffing complement and scheduling designs for the ICN currently achieves good results and are cannot be made public for 10 days after it is delivered to the hospital.

However, if the department were to issue an order what it calls an enforcement action based on its findings, that would be made public immediately, Logsdon said. The health department report will follow a year of cost-cutting at the 182-bed hospital: About a year ago, the hospital laid off about 35 employees, including several middle managers. Like many hospitals, Women's began using many more lower-paid and lesser-trained nursing technicians instead of registered nurses to perform some tasks. At the beginning of this year, the hospital eliminated shift differentials, which had provided extra pay for nurses working night and weekend shifts. As at many hospitals, registered nurses at the women's hospital are being asked to care for more patients with the assistance of nursing technicians.

At times, some say, they are pushing the numbers to the limit. "I may not get to eat lunch or go to the bathroom" during a shift, "which is not a pleasant way to work, but I wouldn't call that un ther looking for other employment, thinking of looking for other employment, or pregnant." In an Interview last week, however, Walsman said the problems that worried her last November had been resolved by February, largely by training more nurses to work in the unit. Reed said that during a six-month period at the end of 1995 and earlier this year, the hospital had unusually high numbers of infants in the intensive care nursery. As a result, he said, nurses worked a lot of overtime until others were trained to fill in. Arthur Logsdon, assistant commissioner at the health department, said Friday he could not discuss details of the pending complaints nor why it has taken the department so long to address them.

"It will be evident when we conclude all of this," he said. Health department surveyors revisited the hospital In March and in May to gather more information. Under state law, the department's report on the complaints Atlvrrtixewrnl WOUNE BffPi aaa A TELEPHONE INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE STAR THE NEWS Using a touch-tone phone, call 624-4636. After the greeting, enter the four digit code for the category you want to hear. Legal Lines Bankruptcy 3000 Becoming Debt-Free Today! 3001 Chapter 1 3 Could Be Your Lucky Number Criminal Law 3031 Fighting a Traffic Ticket 3032 What To Do If Arrested for QUI Family Law 3060 Facts About Dissolution of Marriage 3061 What Am I Entitled In a Divorce? 3064 Family MediationLegal Issues Immigration and Naturalization 3070 Coming To and Staying in the U.S.

3071 Green Cards 3072 Work Permits 3073 Citizenship and Naturalization 3074 Deportation 4 Exclusion Personal Injury 3080 What To Do If You Are Injured 3081 How Much Is Your Claim Worth? Social Security Disability 3083 What Is Disability and How Do You Apply? 3084 What If You Get Turned Down? 3085 How An Attorney Can Help You Appeal Tax Law 3090 Tax Audit 3091 Taxpayer Rights 3092 An Appeal of the Examination's Findings 3094 Fair Collection of Tax 3095 Cancellation of Penalties Wills and Probate 31 20 Who Should Have A Will? 3121 What Is A Trust? 3122 Who Will Manage My Affairs If I Become Sick or Incapacitated? 31 23 What Is "Probating An Estate?" 3124 Who Will Make Health Care Decisions for Me If I Am Unable To Do So? If You're a Homeowner Stuck in the Credit Card Debt Trap Don't wait! Call Centennial Mortgage Company right now at 1-800-369-2500 Every month you find yourself paying more and more on your credit cards, but the balances never seem to go down Hliy? Because it's easy to get stuck in the Credit Card Debt Trap. And the people at Centennial understand that. That's why Centennial has many different Home Equity Loan Programs that are designed to consolidate high interest debt into one LOWER monthly payment that you can afford. Aivirlimnnnt have worked with thousands Security spousal benefits. 290-133: 220-9; 70-123; 1 0-1.

Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, no. Republicans: Burton, yes; Buyer, yes; Hostettler, yes; Mcintosh, yes; Myers, yes; Souder, yes. HR 3755. Ergonomic Protection. Passed.

An amendment to strike language in the bill prohibiting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from using bill funding to promulgate or issue any standards regarding ergonomic protection for workers, or to record or report ergo-nomic-related injuries or illnesses. 216-205: 35-195; 180-10; 1 1-0. Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, yes. Republicans: Burton, no; Buyer, no; Hostettler, no; Mcintosh, no; Myers, no; Souder, no. HR 3755.

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Failed. An amendment to provide an additional $2.6 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which received no bill funding, and to reduce by an equal amount the $3.1 billion in funding for the Department of Health and Human Services health resources and services. 158-263: 36-193; 122-69; 1 0-1. Democrats: Hamilton, no; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, yes.

Republicans: Burton, no; Buyer, no; Hostettler, no; Mcintosh, no; Myers, no; Souder, no. HR 3755. Women's Educational Equity Act. Passed. An amendment to increase by $2 million the bill's funding for the Women's Educational Equity Act and to decrease by an equal amount the $319 million in funding for educational research.

294-129: 101-127; 192-2; 1 1-0. Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, yes. Republicans: Burton, no; Buyer, no; Hostettler, no; Mcintosh, no; Myers, no; Souder, no. July 12 HOUSE HR 3755. Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Failed. An amendment to reduce by $1 million the bill's advance fiscal 1999 appropriation of $250 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 205-219: 190-40; 15-178; 1 0-1. Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, no; Roemer, no; Visclosky, no. Republicans: Burton, yes; Buyer, yes; Hostettler, yes; Mcintosh, yes; Myers, yes; Souder, yes.

HR 3755. Marketing of Drugs. Failed. An amendment to prohibit the use of funds by the Health and Human Services Department to enter into agreements giving firms the exclusive right to market drugs developed with taxpayer funds, unless the agreement includes a reasonable price clause. This prohibition would not apply when HHS determines that the public interest does not require such a clause.

180-242: 23-205; 156-37; 1 1-0. Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, yes. Republicans: Burton, no; Buyer, no; Hostettler, no; Mcintosh, no; Myers, no; Souder, no. HR 3755. Embryo Research.

Failed. An amendment to strike language in the bill banning the use of bill funding for early stage embryo research. The amendment maintains the bill's language banning the use of federal funds to create embryos for research purposes. 167-256: 25-204; 141-52; 1 1-0. Democrats: Hamilton, no; Jacobs, no; Roemer, no; Visclosky, yes.

Republicans: Burton, no; Buyer, no; Hostettler, no; Mcintosh, no; Myers, no; Souder, no. WASHINGTON Votes of the Indiana congressional delegation: July 9 SENATE HR 3448. Small Business Tax Package. Passed. A bill to increase the minimum wage from its current level of $4.25 an hour to $4.75 an hour on July 1, 1996, and to $5.15 an hour on July 1, 1997, while also allowing a 90-day training wage.

The bill would also provide $11 billion over 10 years in tax relief to small businesses by extending and creating a variety of tax credits; permit tax-exempt individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for non-working spouses; increase to $25,000 from $17,500 over seven years the amount that businesses can deduct for equipment purchases; make a number of changes in current pension law; and raise $15 billion over 10 years by reinstating a number of expired taxes and eliminating several tax credits, including a credit for companies doing business in Puerto Rico. 74-24: R27-24; D47-0. Republicans: Coats, no; Lugar, no. July 10 SENATE 1745. Fiscal 1997 Defense Authorization.

Passed. A bill to authorize $265.6 billion for defense programs in fiscal 1997 or $11.2 billion more than requested by the president. 68-31: 50-2; 18-29. Republicans: Coats, yes; Lugar, yes. HR 743.

Teamwork for Employers and Managers. Passed. A bill to modify the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 to make clear that U.S. businesses can establish, without the presence of a labor union, workplace groups consisting of both labor and management to address such issues as productivity, quality control and safety. 53-46: 51-1; 2-45.

Republicans: Coats, yes; Lugar, yes. HOUSE HConRes 193. Cost of Government Day. Passed. A concurrent resolution to express the sense of Congress that the cost of government spending and regulatory programs should be reduced so that U.S.

families will be able to keep more of what they earn. 376-23: 219-0; 156-23; 1 1-0. Democrats: Hamilton, yes; Jacobs, yes; Roemer, yes; Visclosky, yes. Republicans: Burton, yes; Buyer, yes; Hostettler, yes; Mcintosh, yes; Myers, yes; Souder, yes. HR 3754.

Fiscal 1997 Legislative Branch Appropriations. Passed. A bill to provide $1.68 billion in new budget authority for the Legislative Branch in fiscal 1997. The bill provides $37.4 million less than the $1.7 billion provided in fiscal 1996 and $128.8 million less than the $1.81 billion requested by the administration. 360-58: 208-19; 151-39; 1 1-0.

Democrats: Hamilton, no; Jacobs, no; Roemer, no; Visclosky, yes. Republicans: Burton, yes; Buyer, yes; Hostettler, yes; Mcintosh, yes; Myers, yes; Souder, no. July 11 HOUSE HR 3396. Same-Sex Marriage. Passed.

Adoption of the rule to allow for House floor consideration of the bill to ban federal recognition of same-sex marriages and authorize states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states. The bill effectively prohibits the federal government from giving legal standing to homosexual marriages lor any aspect of federal law, such as spousal benefits under aid programs of the federal tax code, or Social The professionals at Centennial of homeowners, with thousands of different credit and income situations and they want to work with you. So, call Centennial now at 1-800-369-2300. Centennial will do its best to help you find the right key to free you from the Credit Card Debt Trap. jSSi ffSft mmn "Qmi wmrrt.m- ww-' mm: m- -awaim-' Aflvertisvmi'Ht Lf CENTENNIAL eJ MORTGAGE COMPANY Division $uteoi flji fSB 1-800-369-2500 3390 W.

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Senior SecureCare The Coverage You Want, Made Easy. Senor SecureCare Meetings are scheduled for the following dates and PROBATION Continued from Page 1 There are many that are sitting at home, for three or four months, without reporting," Roblnett said. The random check of 50 of the 161 cleared cases showed almost 40 percent have received additional jail time, while nearly 20 percent were taken off probation after conditions, such as paying an outstanding debt to the courts, were met. Six percent are sought again on probation violation warrants and 12 percent were placed back on probation. The remaining cases are pending In court.

The force was created after a series of articles In The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News documented how Marlon County's probation system fails to monitor many violent offenders. A computer-assisted study showed that in five years, nearly 3,000 probationers committed new crimes and 9,000 people were on probation more than once. The task force Is comprised of officers on loan from the Marion County Probation Department, the U.S. Marshal's office, the Marion and Johnson county sheriffs departments, Indianapolis Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Military Department of Indiana, Marlon County Probation Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Task force officers are paid by their home agency, which also supplies a car.

The U.S. Marshal's office underwrites office space, equipment and other overhead costs. Task force members iill have at least 20 years experience in law enforcement. "One of the most surprising things is that this is an experienced group, but we're out there like a bunch of rookies. It's so Invigorating and refreshing," said Thoma9 Kuzmlk, an IPD patrolman assigned to the task force.

The search for violators stays in the office set aside for task force work in the Federal Building, until the person Is located. "You can easily put in 10 hours on a case here inside the office before you ever get out on the street," Roblnett said. Traditionally, officers beat the bushes in the neighborhood the violator last was known to frequent. Now, task force officers sit in front of a computer and run names, addresses, Social Security numbers, family members, financial data and other personal information though databases across the nation. They compile the criminal history of the probation violator and see If the person is wanted for crimes elsewhere In the country.

Officers run "scams," posing as insurance agents and other professionals, when they close in on a fugitive. Though a couple of the fugitives have barricaded themselves in homes, no officer has been hurt In the course of nearly 300 arrests. An advantage the task force has over local agencies Is time. "The biggest thing about us Is that agencies such as the Marion County Probation Department have such a huge caseload it Is difficult to develop an investigation on any one case. And they don't have the manpower to stay on it," Roblnett said.

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