A New York health system is increasing worker pay at its nursing home as a thank you to employees and a recruiting prod to bring in new staff members.
The Lewis County Health System in Lowville, NY, announced the pay increase Friday for its certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses at its residential healthcare facility, WWNY-TV first reported.
CNA pay will rise from $13.98 per hour to between $20 and $23 per hour — a 64.5% increase. LPN pay will see a $2.50 increase across all scales, health system CEO Gerald Cayer announced. Cayer said the move was not only a way to thank its employees but also to attract others.
“Our goal with this program is to bring between 25 and 35 individuals on board,” he told the news organization.
The National Association of Health Care Assistants had stressed better pay and working environment for CNAs in the past. In April, they called on lawmakers to create a government-funded wage increase that would lift the current national average pay for CNAs from $13 per hour to $16 per hour, with a pathway toward $22 per hour with self-investment.
