Bill O’Boyle: Pennsylvania taking action to address state's nursing shortage

Aug. 27—Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt this week announced that Pennsylvania is taking the first step to implement the Nurse Licensure Compact by allowing nurses with multistate licenses issued by 40 other states and territories to practice in Pennsylvania.

This key step will help address Pennsylvania's severe nursing shortage and increase health care access for patients across the Commonwealth.

Starting Sept. 5, registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who hold a multi-state license through the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) will be permitted to practice in the Commonwealth.

Administered by the National Council for State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the NLC is an agreement among 41 states and territories to recognize nurses licensed by compact members. Act 68 of 2021 authorized Pennsylvania to join the NLC, which increases patients' access to in-person and telehealth care.

Addressing the nursing shortage and ensuring nurses get on the job faster is a top priority of the Shapiro Administration. In his first month in office, Gov. Shapiro signed an executive order that catalogued each of the 2,400 permits, certificates, and licenses the Commonwealth issues and set timelines for each of them.

"The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring that Pennsylvanians can receive top-notch care from licensed, qualified health care professionals," Schmidt said. "By implementing this first phase of Pennsylvania's engagement in the NLC, we are expanding opportunities for patients and providing hospitals and health systems with access to an approved, vetted group of licensed RNs and LPNs."

A November 2022 industry survey by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) showed vacancy rates of 30% for RNs providing direct care, which is a 10 percentage point increase since 2019. A separate HAP report from January 2023 showed that Pennsylvania could have a shortfall of more than 20,000 RNs by 2026.

Allowing qualified RNs and LPNs to practice in the commonwealth expands the pool of recruits for hospitals and other health care facilities and helps alleviate burdens on overworked nursing staffs, making conditions safer for both patients and health care workers.

"This is a critical first step in the full implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Department of State continues to work diligently with its state and federal partners to satisfy the preconditions necessary to fully implement the NLC," Schmidt said. "Once that occurs, Pennsylvania's State Board of Nursing will be able to issue NLC multistate licenses to Pennsylvania nurses, allowing them to practice in compact member states and territories."

Among the preconditions for fully implementing the NLC is being able to certify to other compact states that Pennsylvania's State Board of Nursing has performed an FBI criminal background check on Pennsylvania applicants, a process that requires FBI authorization. The Department of State has sought this authorization and is awaiting a response.

"We are also ensuring that other technical and regulatory requirements are able to be met so that the commonwealth can fully implement the NLC as quickly as possible once we receive FBI approval," Schmidt added.

Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Waverly, is a registered nurse who sponsored the House bill that led to Act 68 of 2021.

"While there is still work to do to get to full implementation of the compact, as a nearly 30-year registered nurse, I am very clear about the critical need for increasing the number of nurses in our Commonwealth," Kosierowski said. "I am grateful and excited that the Department of State has taken this positive action that hopefully will not only increase the availability of nurses but will also help to lessen the incredible burden of paperwork the Department has to process."

Rep. Meuser co-sponsors legislation to

address health care workforce shortages

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week co-sponsored H.R. 1310 — the States Handling Access to Reciprocity for Employment (SHARE) Act — which will improve patient care and address workforce shortages that are causing a considerable strain on the health care system, particularly in rural communities.

Meuser said current law requires health care providers to obtain a license or certification from each state in which they wish to practice. If a provider, such as a doctor or nurse, licensed in one state relocates to another, that provider must complete the licensure process again for each new state in which they wish to practice.

This process is burdensome and strips providers of the ability to practice in any new state until the application is approved — sometimes taking more than half a year.

The SHARE Act will make a technical correction to modernize a vital component of the licensure process for health care providers seeking a license under an interstate compact.

Specifically, the legislation removes red tape and reduces administrative burdens by authorizing the FBI to share criminal history record information between states for licensure purposes. This will allow background checks to be completed in a much more efficient and timely manner, which is often one of the longest aspects of the license application process.

Further, while the bill enhances cooperation between states, Meuser said it also maintains each state's right and authority to determine whether a provider is eligible to practice in the state.

"Communities all across the country are feeling the effects of workforce shortages in the health care field, especially in rural areas," Meuser said. "Whether it's having to wait weeks to get an appointment or traveling long distances to see a provider, the lack of doctors and nurses has put an undue burden on the American people. That is why I was pleased to cosponsor the SHARE Act, which extends the reach of health care professionals, eliminates the time necessary for state-to-state checks, and leverages the use of new medical technologies like telehealth.

"By making it easy for medical providers to get licenses from state to state, we can drastically improve people's access to care."

Jennifer Berrier appointed

as PUC Executive Director

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) this week announced the appointment of Jennifer Berrier of Harrisburg as executive director for the PUC, effective Sept. 11.

Berrier comes to the Commission with a passion for public service and nearly two decades of experience serving Pennsylvania businesses and residents in various roles at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) — culminating with her December 2020 appointment by Gov. Tom Wolf as the Commonwealth's Labor & Industry Secretary. In that role, she guided one of Pennsylvania's largest state agencies through the challenges of COVID-19 and the post-pandemic recovery.

Berrier's leadership experience, operational knowledge, administrative skills and policy experience running a large agency will serve her well in her new role with the PUC, where she will plan, organize and direct day-to-day operations of the Commission.

Berrier holds a bachelor's degree in political science from York College of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Widener University.

Davis, Siger highlight new investments

for historically disadvantaged businesses

Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis and Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger this week highlighted new state funding in the recently signed budget to support the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program.

"Small businesses, like beauty salons and barber shops, create community and commerce — not just jobs, but ladders of opportunity," said Lt. Gov. Davis. "Unfortunately, small businesses that are owned by Black and brown folks or women sometimes struggle with access to capital. Minority-owned businesses are three times more likely to be denied a loan and pay a higher interest rate. Still, communities like Steelton and my hometown of McKeesport are resilient. Black and brown communities have continued to show support for local businesses, despite a historical lack of support and investment from the government. That changes under the Shapiro-Davis administration. We will never leave any community behind."

The 2023-24 bipartisan, common-sense budget spurs job creation, fosters innovation and provides the funding to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale. It includes a $20 million investment to fund the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program to invest in small minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth and provide significant support.

"The Shapiro-Davis Administration is committed to making Pennsylvania a place where everyone has the same opportunities for success," said DCED Secretary Siger. "This $20 million investment in the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program is a crucial step forward to ensure the Commonwealth does everything it can to support minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. It's good for our economy and is the right thing to do."

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.