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An entrance to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, is illuminated by lights Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014. A patient at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, in Braintree, Mass., who has visited Liberia, was brought to the medical center in Boston by ambulance Sunday. The individual was later confirmed not to have Ebola.

(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

This story was updated to include comments from Sen. Keenan's office.

Representatives of the Massachusetts Nurses Association have not been invited to testify before the Massachusetts Legislature's public health committee's oversight hearing looking into how prepared the health system in the state is to handle cases of the Ebola virus on Oct. 16 at the Statehouse, according to association spokesperson David Schildmeier.

"They are refusing to let us testify. We have asked and we were told we are not invited," Schildmeier said.

Schildmeier said the association approached the offices of State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, D- Jamaica Plain, and Sen. John Keenan, D Quincy, committee co-chairs, and were told the association is not on the list. Invited speakers are said to include Dr. Michael VanRooyen of Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health, and UMass Memorial Medical Center President Patrick Muldoon.

"There is a widespread feeling among nurses that most hospitals in Massachusetts are unprepared to deal with Ebola," Schildmeier said. "It is a very strong concern of ours and is further heightened by recent scares here."

Schildmeier noted that "while they have invited a Brigham official to testify, the nurses at the Brigham have gone public with their concerns about the lack of education, training and preparation for an Ebola outbreak."

"It is obvious from this example that the committee will not get a complete and accurate picture of preparedness at that facility," Schildmeier said.

Alejandro Alves, Keenan's chief of staff, confirmed that the MNA has not been invited to give testimony.

"We are not rejecting testimony from any group. It is an institutional based focus, rather than an association based focus," said Alves, citing, in part, time limitations. "We don't have the Massachusetts Hospital Association, or the MNA. We do have a chief nursing operating officer, and health care staff, but not the Massachusetts Medical Society on board."

When asked about input from nurses who would first evaluate and admit any suspected Ebola patients, either in a clinic or hospital setting, Alves said, "We certainly have an appreciation of that, but you will see that (perspective) coming from committee members."

Alves said the initial list of who will testify was drawn up by staff of the legislature's public health committee, and then vetted by the co-chairs. He said the meeting, which begins at 10 a.m. in State House Room B2, is planned for three hours. Public and press may attend, but he said only those invited will be allowed to give testimony. He said any follow-up meetings would be based "on what we will hear tomorrow."

The MNA represents some 23,000 nurses at 54 of the state's 67 hospitals. Schildmeier said at some hospitals, nurses have little more than "paper gowns and chlorine wipes," to deal with suspected cases, while other hospitals have Hazmat suits with broken respirators.

"Nurse are very, very scared about their ability to properly care for a patient," Schildmeier said.