Senator Joseph F. Vitale, a Democrat from Middlesex County, was first elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 1997 to represent the 19th Legislative District. Senator Vitale is the Chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. He serves as vice-Chair of the Senate Economic Growth Committee. Senator Vitale’s foremost priority is protecting the health of children and working families as well as making health care accessible to all New Jersey residents. To make his vision a reality, Senator Vitale has crafted numerous pieces of legislation to improve the quality and efficiency of health care in New Jersey. For example, Senator Vitale’s landmark legislation - the Patient Safety Act - addresses the occurrences of medical errors by creating an internal reporting system within facilities and the State that will track and trend these errors in order to make systemic changes and increase the safety of patients. The New Jersey Medical Care Access and Responsibility Act is another critical law which the Senator created to address the medical malpractice liability insurance crisis. Senator Vitale dedicates much of his energy to the NJ FamilyCare Program, which is evident during annual budget negotiations. His success for advocating on behalf working families and often those that are not organized in a manner to advocate for themselves is outstanding. He identifies real problems and creates workable solutions. Recognizing that the future of NJ FamilyCare was volatile, Senator Vitale formed a working group of experts to address issues facing the uninsured and the underinsured in New Jersey. In addition, Senator Vitale has designated his district office as an enrollment site for NJ Family Care. His trained staff assists constituents to identify programs they are eligible for and coordinates their enrollment. Senator Vitale has emerged as a strong leader in the fight to improve care at New Jersey’s hospitals and nursing homes. He drafted legislation designed to limit the number of patients assigned to each nurse. Senator Vitale was the prime sponsor of laws that improve working conditions for health care workers by restricting the use of forced overtime and requiring hospitals to create safe patient lift programs. Recently, for his efforts, both the New Jersey State Nurses Association and the New Jersey Hospital Association named Senator Vitale Legislator of the Year. Senator Vitale was also named New Jersey’s 2nd most influential player in New Jersey’s Healthcare arena by the 2004 Annual HealthSense Listing. Senator Vitale has been honored by New Jersey’s Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community for being an ardent supporter of issues that promote the autistic community’s recognition, well-being and progress. The Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey named Senator Vitale 2004’s “Good Guy” for his advocacy on behalf of women’s rights as well as his support of women in the political arena. The Hyacinth AIDS Foundation honored him at their annual Gala for his vision and dedication to helping those with blood-borne illnesses. He is an advocate for the improvement of the education system, the protection of our environment, and the betterment of services provided to our children through DYFS and other state agencies serving vulnerable populations. Senator Vitale organizes annual events to support our troops and their families, Middlesex Habitat for Humanity, Foster and Adoptive Family Services and families in need. Senator Vitale takes on the hard issues and has been instrumental in working with a myriad of interest groups to find solutions to difficult problems.
