The State of New York just passed excellent legislation that will require hospitals to reveal nursing to patient ratios. The law, which takes effect in 2010, mandates that New York hospitals make public the number of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and unlicensed personnel providing care, as well as the ratios of each to the number of patients. A number of studies have concluded that medical errors increase in hospitals with inadequate nursing staffing. Not surprisingly, the Greater New York Hospital Association, an industry trade and lobbying group, vigorously opposed the law. A spokesman for the organization stated that “[I]t will be very difficult for the public to interpret staffing ratios without understanding the multiple variables that determine appropriate staffing levels, thereby making the reporting meaningless – or at best without context.” The “public is too ignorant” rationale is cynical, especially in light of the numerous efforts to encourage patients to ask questions and to be armed with as much information as possible in order to take some responsibility and to make informed decisions for their own medical care.