LeadingAge PA

Urge PA Dept. of Health to Approve Suspension of State Staffing Ratios

In recognition of the continued challenges our members are facing with meeting state staffing regulations given ongoing workforce, funding, and access to care challenges, LeadingAge PA sent a letter to Secretary Debra Bogen of the PA Department of Health (DOH) on Oct. 11 urging the Department to issue a temporary suspension of state staffing ratio requirements. In addition to a moratorium on the ratios to offer immediate relief, we requested a meeting with the Department to discuss long-term solutions further. The letter was submitted jointly with support from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA) and the Pennsylvania Coalition of Affiliated Healthcare & Living Communities (PACAH). 

As of Dec. 16, DOH has not yet responded to our letter. We now need you to help flood the Department with additional examples as to what is at stake for providers. We have created a template letter in which you can insert your own examples and rationale as to why DOH should approve our request. The letter will go directly to DOH.  

IMPORTANT: Under the “Message Body” field of the “Compose Your Message” box found on this page, please insert your own, specific examples demonstrating the need for relief from the ratios (insert your text in the space following the first paragraph). 

You may insert specific example(s) regarding any of the following: 

How ratio compliance is actually taking away from quality for your residents (e.g., having to cut services/hours on other shifts to cover night shift requirements that aren’t needed, how resident needs are higher during certain windows but you can’t staff in alignment with those busy times due to needing excess staff for other shifts due the rigid ratios, etc.) 

At what cost compliance with ratios has come for your facility (e.g., staff burnout/turnover as a result of trying to cover unnecessary shifts, increased costs in administrative personnel to manage schedules, increased costs toward agency use, etc.) 

How you would ensure quality is maintained even without the ratios (e.g., if you would still maintain an above-average/required PPD, how you integrate findings of your Facility Assessment, how you utilize non-traditional roles such as Household Coordinators or volunteers to support resident needs, etc.) 

The challenges you’ve faced in hiring/retaining needed staff (e.g., availability of CNAs, inability to compete with sign-on bonuses or wages in other businesses in your community, how many open positions you currently have, staff who have left the industry due to burnout, lengths you’ve gone to to attract new hires, etc.) 

Impacts to your broader community and hospital partners (e.g., having to turn away potential admissions from local hospitals) 

If you have any questions, please reach out to govaffairs@leadingagepa.org. Thank you for lending your voice to this critical effort to secure the relief you need! 

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