CNA training program halfway to 3-year goal after 1 year
CALIFORNIA — A three-year training program aimed at boosting the number of certified nurse aides in California is nearly halfway to its goal after just one year.
The statewide Gateway-In Project, with a total budget of $25 million, has already graduated more than 1,200 CNAs with the goal of 2,700 by 2026.
“I am thrilled with the remarkable outcomes,” said Jeannee Parker Martin, CEO of LeadingAge California. “This visionary recruitment, training and retention initiative is designed to help tackle California’s pressing healthcare workforce shortage head-on while also creating new opportunities for residents across the state.”
The association noted that the long-term care pipeline is struggling with a historic staffing crisis. An additional 275,000 direct care workers will be needed by 2026 to meet care needs.
“The Gateway-In Project serves as a crucial intervention measure to create a new workforce pipeline to prepare for this growing population and avoid a crisis in the provision of care,” a media release from the group said.
ADA allegations snag 2 nursing home chains
Washington – Two nursing home companies have resolved allegations that they violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by denying admission to prospective residents with substance use disorder.
Some patients were denied admission because they were prescribed approved medication for opioid use disorder, the US Attorney’s Office said. The settlement was reached individually with Avalon Health Care Management, which oversees 14 skilled nursing facilities in six states, including three in Washington; and with Arcadia Medical Resorts, which operates four Washington facilities.
Both chains will have to update their non-discrimination policies and undertake new training to ensure their employees and contractors are up-to-date on the ADA and the medications commonly used to treat SUD. Both also agreed to a $12,000 penalty, but the government will waive $10,000 if each operator can demonstrate compliance.
Avalon Health also agreed to a separate, $20,500 payment to resolve allegations that one of its facilities had discriminated against a deaf patient by denying a qualified sign-language interpreter.
Lawmaker bets on casinos for vets’ homes
Missouri – State Rep. Dave Griffith (R-Jefferson City) was trying again this fall to advance legislation to benefit veterans nursing homes by increasing gambling revenues.
Griffith hopes to raise the $2 casino admission fee to $3 and send the difference to vet’ homes, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The newspaper noted a “combination of funding shortfalls and staffing woes have left hundreds of beds empty” at five of the state’s vet homes. The facilities are not funded through Medicare or Medicaid but receive a mix of funds from the state, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, casino fees and medical marijuana taxes.
“We’re all providing the same care,” Nikki R. Strong, executive director of the Missouri Health Care Association, told McKnight’s. “They’re regulated and paid differently, but we all have the same staffing shortages.”
State law may stymie SNF mergers
Connecticut – A new law is likely to slow down mergers, although leading sector advocates remain in a wait-and-see mode. The regulations, which took effect Oct. 1, come amid a push by state attorneys general and federal lawmakers to increase transparency around facility ownership structures.
Change of ownership applications must be submitted at least 120 days before any change occurs. In addition, any alterations of ownership, including anyone related by blood or marriage, must now also file in Connecticut.
These changes are likely to bog down the process of mergers or sales as the state Department of Health has to review everything, according to Todd J. Selby, an attorney with Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman.
“This law is aimed at providing transparency that identifies all owners and entities affiliated with the proposed ownership of a nursing home,” Selby added. “While it does not specifically say the intent of the law is to discourage private equity ownership of nursing homes, this is almost certainly the case.”
Training program races ahead of schedule
Arizona – Another creative campaign to meet increasing demand for new workers in the long-term care sector is exceeding expectations. The AHCA WORKS program was launched by the Arizona Health Care Association in 2022 and has partnered with 211 employers across Arizona to enroll 1,400 students in training. It is on pace to enroll 1,650, according to Jeff Barrett, the program’s director — 150 students over goal.
One notable success has been recruiting refugee workers from Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan. AHCA WORKS encourages training locations to hire students in temporary roles so they can provide for themselves and their families. The program also offers English classes tailored to the material of upcoming core classes.
AHCA WORKS plans to add two more refugee cohorts before the grant ends in 2024 to add to the worker influx.
From the December 2023 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
