Whitmer order creates nursing home workforce council

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order (EO) to establish the Michigan Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council (NHWSC).

The group will identify review, develop, and recommend policies, administrative actions, legislative changes, and other approaches to support high-quality nursing home care.

NHWSC will be housed in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and comprised of state department directors, nursing home residents, representatives, and employers.

“The new Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council will bring in input from state leaders, nursing home workers, nursing home employers, and nursing home residents to put Michiganders first and recommend improvements to nursing home care,” Whitmer said in a statement. “I look forward to working with them and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to continue finding ways to boost nursing home staffing, promote transparency, and ensure sustainable, high-quality care for all nursing home residents.”

Nationwide, nursing homes employment is down 234,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

The Council aims to boost staffing levels, address barriers to entry, good pay, and ensure sustainable, high-quality care.

Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council Members

• Director or designated representative of the Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS)
• Director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), or a designated representative.
• Director or designated representative of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, or the director’s designated representative from within that department.
• The Michigan State Long Term Care Ombudsman, or the ombudsman’s designated representative from within that program.
• Five representatives of the nursing home workforce, appointed by the governor
• Five representatives of nursing home employers including at least one representative each of a not-for-profit nursing home employer, a for-profit nursing home employer, and a nursing home administered by a county government.
• Three representatives of nursing home residents, which may include family members and other representatives of residents.

To apply to the Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council visit Michigan.gov/appointments and select “Nursing Home Workforce Stabilization Council” from the drop menu of the application.

Applications are due by Friday, January 7, 2022.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges in our industry and underscored the need for all stakeholders to work together to finally address long-standing issues across our state,” Villa Healthcare Principal Mark Berger said in a statement.

More than 25,000 Michiganders have died from COVID-19 as a sole or contributing factor. Of those, 21,548 or 86% of those deaths were people ages 60 and older.

This article was originally posted on Whitmer order creates nursing home workforce council