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The 10th
Plymouth District
includes all of
West Bridgewater,
Easton Precinct 3,
Brockton:
Ward 6 A, B, C, D;
Ward 5 B, C, D;
and
Ward 4 B and C
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Thank you for visiting this section of my
website.
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As your State Representative, it has always been
my goal to keep the line of communication between
us open. Given our often
hectic schedules, I realize it may be hard to do
so. This new area of my website helps to provide
a glimpse of the work I am doing on your behalf up
at the State House, latest legislative
developments, and recent events I have
participated in throughout the Commonwealth and
within the district.
I hope you find this information useful. As
always, please feel
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free to
contact me if you have any further questions
or if my staff and I can help you in any way.
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Legislature
approves measure that seeks to create
the Office of the National Nurse |
April 2, 2008 -
I would like to announce that my colleagues and I in the legislature recently passed
a joint resolution encouraging the United
States Congress to create an Office of the
National Nurse. I worked with student nurses
(pictured above) from
Mount Wachusett Community College to introduce
a resolution urging the U.S. Congress enact
legislation to establish an Office of the
National Nurse. We believe a National Nurse
will be a prominent visible symbol to generate
a cultural shift to prevention at a time when
our nation is seeing record numbers in chronic
conditions such as obesity and Type 2
Diabetes.
The Office of the National Nurse will
complement the Office of the Surgeon General
and will encourage nurses, particularly
students and retirees, to become involved in
their own communities to support local
prevention efforts.
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"We are delighted that the Massachusetts
Legislature recognizes the importance of
having an Office of the National Nurse to
complement the work of the U.S. Surgeon
General in promoting preventive healthcare,”
said Collene Thaxton, assistant professor of
nursing at Mount Wachusett Community College.
“As a teacher, I am excited that my students
saw the importance of this role and took the
initiative on a state level. It is great for
them to see that they actually can make an
impact.”
The resolution received wide support among my
colleagues in the legislature. In total,
twenty-two |
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members of the House of Representatives, including
all Registered Nurses in the legislature, signed
on to the resolution. On the Senate side, Senator
Creedon championed the resolution. The Senator
has been sympathetic to nurses’ issues throughout
his long career, and was eager to support the
resolution.
In our great country, professional nurses are a
valuable resource. Nurses need to have a
recognized and accepted voice in public policy.
At the local level, an individual nurse's
involvement, especially in areas that are
politically sensitive to the profession, can be
more important than many realize. And I hope the
Office of the National Nurse will encourage my
nursing colleagues to give of themselves to their
communities and share their special insights.
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West Bridgewater
Housing Authority awarded
$35K in grants |
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March 11, 2008 –
Senator Brian
Joyce and I are pleased to announce that the West
Bridgewater Housing Authority has been awarded
$35,000 in two technical assistance grants.
Both grants are aimed at improving the D’Arpino
Village housing complex on Esther Drive. The
first grant will replace the fire alarm system at
this location. The second grant will be used to
cut and patch portions of the sidewalks and
roadways within the complex.
The grants were issued by the Department of
Housing and Community Development.
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Announces
Summer
Job Opportunities with DCR
Borderland,
Ames Nowell and
Myles Standish State Parks, as well
as many other state recreation areas are all
hiring |
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March 4, 2008
– Have you or someone you know ever wanted to spend a
summer working to beautify our state parks,
life-guarding at a state-owned swimming pool, or
maintaining one of the
Boston Harbor Islands? Well this year, I am
pleased to announce that such opportunities are
available through the Patrick/Murray
Administration’s Seasonal Training and Employment
Program (S.T.E.P).
The S.T.E.P, led by the Department of Conservation
and Recreation (DCR), is looking to recruit
qualified and motivated seasonal staff who reflect
the cultural, racial, and geographic diversity of
the Commonwealth. A key component of the program
is that it provides a positive work experience for
youth, as well as educational opportunities and
training for students who are interested in
environmental or recreational services.
This is a plum opportunity for anyone interested
in exploring careers in our National Park System,
the environmental sciences, historical
preservation, or public safety fields. I
encourage all of my constituents – particularly
those who are students – to learn more about these
jobs.
For additional information about job descriptions
and the minimum requirements for each position,
please visit DCR’s website at
http://www.mass.gov/dcr. Positions are
limited, and I encourage interested applicants to
contact Mike Mullen in my State House office as
soon as possible
to maximize their chances of being hired. Mike
can be reached at
(617)
722-2006, or by e-mail at
Michael.Mullen@state.ma.us.
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Legislature’s Public Health
Committee approves Patient Safety Bill
Chief-sponsored bill one-step closer towards
becoming law |
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March 1, 2008 – I am pleased to announce that, this
week, the legislature’s Joint Committee on Public
Health favorably released H.2059, An Act
Relative to Patient Safety – known also as
The Patient Safety Act.
This measure – one of my top priorities for the
past ten years – seeks to address the shortage of
bedside nurses, curb the frequency of hospital
acquired infections, and increase overall patient
care throughout the Commonwealth.
In May 2006, after a series of negotiations
between House leaders, hospital associations, and
nurse unions, the Massachusetts House of
Representatives passed a compromise version of
H. 2059, but the Senate failed to take action
on the bill before the legislature adjourned.
This year, this bill has been co-sponsored by more
than 80 members of both the House and Senate, and
also has the support of The Coalition to
Protect Massachusetts – an umbrella
organization of over 120 health care associations,
nursing groups, labor unions and advocacy groups
from across the Commonwealth.
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THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONTINUED
SUPPORT &
FRIENDSHIP!
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