Labor Day was created as a way to pay tribute to the worker’s of American, particularly those in trade and labor organizations. Today, trade organizations and labor unions are often categorized in negative terms, even while studies show these organizations save lives.

A history of the IBEW notes that: “Some statistics support the fact that one out of two men who entered the industry did not survive their first year.” Currently the United States Department of Labor estimates “The annual fatality rate for power line workers is about 50 deaths per 100,000 employees.”

An article reporting on a  federally backed study on the hazards of working in mines concluded,  “In the past two decades, there have been 18-33 percent fewer traumatic injuries per miner in union mines than nonunion mines and 27-68 percent fewer fatalities per miner, according to a draft of the study sponsored by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.”

An ILR review study purports that “After controlling for patient and hospital characteristics, the authors find that hospitals with unionized R.N.’s have 5.5% lower heart attack mortality than do non-union hospitals.”

In Rhode Island “Between 1998 and 2005 there were 354 fatalities at non-union workplaces throughout New England. During those same years, there were 77 deaths at unionized locations, according to OSHA figures.”

Whether you like unions or not, there’s something to be said for organizations that may very well increase your chances of celebrating another Labor Day. 

Medical doctors are used to people listening to them. Their words are rarely disputed and oftentimes even the most outlandish beliefs seem reasonable when spoken by a doctor. Case in point, Rep. Todd Akin’s comments about rape victims and pregnancy: “From what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Try as I might, I can’t find any scientific evidence, even on the internet, that rape victims are able to send out ninja assassin eggs to kill rape sperm or deploy mini razors in their uterus to prevent egg implantation.

But, hey, if a doctor said it, it must be…right?

Every day woman are counseled by doctors that taking antibiotics will lessen the effectiveness of their birth control pill. The early data to support this only related to one antibiotic, rifampin. Even though rifampin is now rarely used, and there’s been no subsequent link between the use of other antibiotics and unwanted pregnancies, doctors and pharmacists still perpetuate this myth.

Hyper kid? Your doctor might recommend restricting sugar intake. As we’ve seen on shows like “Toddlers and Tiaras,” filling young children with pixie sticks and energy drinks turns exhausted, ill tempered children into enthusiastic dancers and runway walkers. Scientific research debunks the link between sugar and hyperactivity. Instead parents that believe sugar causes excess energy “see” the effect, even when there is none.

Wear glasses? Some doctors believe it’s because you spent too much time reading in dim light. Even though reading in dim light may strain eyes, it won’t damage your eyes. In fact, strain your eyes all you want on computers, sitting too close to the television, and not wearing your glasses when you need them. None of these will cause permanent damage.

I could go on with doctor misperceptions about using antibiotics, vaccination side effects, and even the use of thong panties, but I won’t. Possessing a medical degree and a title doesn’t automatically make someone intelligent and well informed. Doctors have as many crackpot, half-baked, and totally wrong ideas as the rest of us.

Too bad our representatives in Washington aren’t smart enough to figure that out.

The Exeter Hospital healthcare worker who picked up unattended syringes of potent narcotics, injected himself, and then either refilled the syringes with saline or replaced them with his own previously used needles, causing at least 32 patients to become infected with Hepatitis C, is not an isolated occurrence. This has happened before and will happen again, unless the real problem is addressed.

The incident is being used as a scare tactic to further a bill requiring certain hospital employees, including lab and medical imaging personnel, to meet national standards in order for the facility to receive Medicare reimbursement.

This will not solve the problem. 
 
People who are entrusted by a hospital to draw up and administer medicine should be held accountable when they don’t safeguard the medication. Even if they are doctors. Even if they are nurse anesthetists. Even if they are registered nurses. Leaving syringes of narcotics lying about is irresponsible and dangerous. Blaming an addict for picking up these syringes makes no sense.

Instead let’s hold accountable the hospitals that don’t follow their own policies on medication security. Let’s expect to hear how the hospital disciplined the healthcare front line staff that made this tragedy possible through their carelessness.

It has nothing to do with the presence or absence of national licensing standards. It has everything to do with accountability. Until hospitals and their employees are willing to admit their part in this tragedy, nothing will change.