The state of Pennsylvania is considering easing education requirements for nursing home leaders, despite opposition from both providers and patients.
Gov. Thomas Wolf’s proposal aims to halve the amount of continuing education required of administrators, as a way to bulldoze barriers to employment and strengthen the state workforce. But PA providers insist the action is unnecessary, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.
“We’re not on board,” said W. Russell McDaid, CEO of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, noting that none of its members have complained about current requirements being too burdensome. “This is a complex industry right now.”
“This is awful,” agreed Diane Menio, who leads the Center for Advocacy for the Rights & Interests of the Elderly in Center City.
According to the report, the proposal is part of the Democratic governor’s “licensing reform initiative,” which has already eliminated requirements for 13 fields, including barbers, cemetery brokers and auctioneers.
Pennsylvania now mandates 48 hours of CE credits over two years for the state’s nearly 2,400 nursing home administrators. That requirement is high when compared to other states in the Northeast, and yet bumping it down to 24 would put Pennsylvania in the bottom tier of the U.S., according to the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards.
The proposal is scheduled for consideration by the State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators on Wednesday.
