Vermont Nurse Connection - November 2021

November, December 2021, January 2022 Vermont Nurse Connection • Page 13
H.195 was signed into law. Act 17 relates to use of
facial recognition technology by law enforcement in cases
involving sexual exploitation of children.
H.210 passed. Act 33 addresses disparities and
promotes equity in the health care system. The House
Committee on Healthcare received a presentation on
healthcare disparities by Dr. Maria Mercedes Avila
which included statistics on health disparities as well as
suggestions for best practices to reduce disparities. This
bill will establish a 27 member Health Equity Advisory
Commission “to promote health equity and eradicate
health disparities among Vermonters,” particularly people
of color, LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities,
and will put the state on a path to creating an Office of
Health Equity. The Health Commission will guide the
formation of a state Office of Health Equity, shaping
structure and duties, and setting standards for programs
and grants.
H.439 Budget bill, includes money for RN scholarships
for students who commit to practice in VT.
H. 315 (Act 9) included LPN workforce funding, adding
40-45 LPN seats.
H.225 An act relating to possession of a therapeutic
dosage of buprenorphine passed the House and senate and
is now Act 46.
S.120 is to create the Joint Legislative Health Care
Affordability Study Committee to explore opportunities
to make healthcare more affordable. S.120 received a
favorable report from the Health and Welfare Committee
and was Referred to Committee on Rules per Temporary
Senate Rule 44A and will receive testimony next session
from providers.
Cross Border Practice/Scope of Practice
• Kentucky went into special session during
September and extended the pandemic state of
emergency until January 15th via HJR 1, including
the continuation of all collaborative agreement
exemptions.
• New Hampshire LSR 2529 – pre-filed, involving the
licensure of out-of-state health care professionals.
Massachusetts is meeting regarding the scope of
practice of APRNs being expanded. Massachusetts also
applied for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (https://
www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1319)
funds to create a Center for Workplace Development. I
have requested information about this from their ED.
More on State based American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) funding:
- Kansas recently announced $50 million in available
funding for hospitals to either provide premium
pay or improve retention of nursing resources
and support personnel, approved by the SPARK
Executive Committee. This emergency funding is
providing immediate support for Kansas hospitals
to manage the current COVID-19 surge and address
critical shortages in nurse staffing across the state.
- Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia announced
the Saving Our Care initiative which will provide
“staffing assistance and financial help to hospitals
and long-term care facilities like nursing homes and
assisted living facilities to keep workforce levels up”
(including nurses). The program will also provide
financial assistance to hospitals that have to defer
elective procedures” with further details to come.
- Pre-filed bills in Florida (HB 17/SB 312) would
revise the prohibition on prescribing controlled
substances through use of telehealth to include only
specified controlled substances. Another pre-filed
legislation in Florida (SB 330) authorizes Medicaid
to reimburse providers for certain remote evaluation
and patient monitoring services.
Our Federal Legislators keep hearing how nurses need
to be considered equitably with physicians in decisions
and funding concerning the practitioner workforce,
and how school nurses not only care for students and
adults in schools, but are spread thin following up with
contact tracing, educating families, and similar activities.
Increasing the workforce is critical. Nurse faculty cannot
continue to receive less pay than nurses in acute settings,
and we are invited to meet with them prior to the opening
of the legislative session so they hear how nurses have
been traumatized by seeing so many die.
Vermont has been invited by our National ANA
delegation, to provide feedback and information about
nurse staffing shortages. During the listening sessions,
we will be asked about qualitative and quantitative
information for comprehensive understanding of the
current issues. Questions will include:
• Are you currently in a state/region/locality that is
experiencing a nurse staffing shortage?
• What are the underlying reasons for the shortage at
this time?
• What health care services have been impacted?
What, if any, services are not currently being offered
as a direct result of the nurse staffing shortage?
• Can you quantify how many nurses are needed to
be at an appropriate staffing level at facilities across
your state?
• Do you know if nurses are leaving the profession
entirely? If yes, can you quantify the number of
nurses leaving the profession entirely?
• What actions have been taken to address the
shortage? Are they working?
• If no action has been taken, what could be done in
the short term to mitigate the impact of the shortage?
What are the barriers to implementing the solution?
• What long term policy solutions are needed to
address nurse staffing challenges?
Please let us know about the scope of the problem, so
we can share. Contact me at vtnurse@ana-vermont.org or
talk to your favorite Board member.