Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz this week has called on the state’s National Guard to help nursing homes facing “severe staffing shortages” across the state.
Walz said 400 members of the National Guard will begin certified nursing assistants (CNA) and temporary nursing aides (TNA) training over the next week.
Skilled nursing facilities that are particularly struggling with staffing can request a “response team” from the Minnesota Department of Health that will provide on-site staffing support for up to three weeks at a time, according to a press release.
An estimated 22,000 residents receive care at roughly 365 skilled nursing facilities throughout the state.
Walz’s announcement, first reported by local news outlets, also included a proposal to use $50 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding for “immediate emergency grants” to assist long-term care facilities in employee hiring and retention.
The state’s Legislative COVID-19 Response Commission is reportedly reviewing that request, the press release stated. If approved, grants would be issued in December.
“Our long-term care facilities are facing an all-hands-on-deck moment, and that’s why we are taking unprecedented action to support skilled nursing workers, residents, and patients,” Walz said in a statement. “Financial support will help our skilled nursing facilities hire and retain talented staff to care for patients, and the Minnesota National Guard is preparing to fill any staffing gaps.”
The state’s Department of Human Services (DHS) will also expedite its Medicaid reimbursement payments to nursing homes experiencing staff shortages starting in January 2022 — for up to six months, according to the press release.
Patti Cullen, president and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota, said in a statement that Gov. Walz’s actions “will provide emergency staffing assistance to the exhausted professional caregivers who have been on the frontlines for over 20 months.”
According to a recent survey from the Long-Term Care Imperative — a legislative collaborative between Care Providers of Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota — 70% of the 124 nursing facilities surveyed in the state were limiting admissions due to staffing constraints.
That was up from 41% in July, according to the survey.
Gayle Kvenvold, president and CEO of LeadingAge Minnesota, said in the press release that there are 23,000 open long-term caregiver positions across the state.
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