Rep. Marty Flynn
We need to pass the health professional protection bill to safeguard our front-line, health care workers in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 crisis is presenting significant challenges for many of our health care workers. I am concerned for health care professionals working in our long-term care industry. These workers, who are employed in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, are at risk every day while doing their jobs.
State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski is the lead Democratic House co-sponsor on legislation that would establish a Long-Term Care Facility Personal Protective Equipment Reimbursement Grant Program, designed to assist long-term care facilities in paying for personal protective equipment for workers, including gloves, respirators, face masks, gowns, face shields and other personal protective equipment.
The protective equipment would cover anyone who is in direct contact with patients at long-term care facilities.
House Bill 2509 was approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Aging and Older Adult Services Committee and could be considered soon for a vote by the full House. The bill has received bipartisan support.
I support this legislation because it would protect employees who are working locally and across Pennsylvania in long-term care facilities with needed safeguards.
Workers in long-term care facilities are continuing to provide services on the front lines and caring for our loved ones during these critical times.
In addition, and sadly, the long-term care industry workers are still paid low wages. These workers include health care aides, nurses’ aides, and nursing assistants, patient care aides and many others who directly care for older adults.
They are the employees who are often interacting with COVID-19 patients and need the protective equipment to function on the job. If we are serious about the quality of care that people receive, the legislature must find a way to fairly compensate our direct care workers and provide them with the equipment they need on the job.
We should be paying them a wage based on their skills. We should be strengthening the direct care workforce in order to improve the quality of care provided to patients. The time is now to increase the hourly minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to at least $12 an hour.
A study by the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Council, before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, indicated we have a pending crisis of care for older Pennsylvanians and younger disabled people if workforce issues aren’t addressed.
Our workers in various nursing homes across Pennsylvania should not be required to reuse surgical gowns or paper masks.
We should make sure frontline employees have access to whatever supplies they need as they continue to care for our aging, ill and disabled citizens.
We can do better.
Remember if you have a state-related concern, my office is always available to you. You can email me at RepFlynn@pahouse.com or call my office at 570-342-4348.
State Representative Marty Flynn serves the 113th Legislative District which consists of the city of Scranton, South Abington and the borough of Clarks Green.
