"The state Healthcare Workforce Initiative led by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor has been looking at needs across the healthcare system and addressing some of the training and education issues," says Maigret, noting that advocacy groups, such as the SACRI, support the Medicaid reimbursement rate increases as recommended by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner. "These rate increases are necessary to reduce service wait lists and provide livable wages for direct care staff many of whom are women and women of color," she says.
Over 23 years ago, in his weekly commentaries in the Pawtucket Times, this writer reported on the crisis of a direct care-staffing shortage and inadequate reimbursement being paid to nursing facilities to care for Rhode Island's fail seniors. Isn't it finally time for the Rhode Island General Assembly to come up with the necessary funds and strategy to fix these problem once and for all?
Herb Weiss, LRI'12, is a Pawtucket writer covering aging, healthcare and medical issues. To purchase Taking Charge: Collected Stories on Aging Boldly, a collection of 79 of his weekly commentaries, go to herbweiss.com.
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