Medicaid Redesign Team: Workforce Flexibility and Change of Scope of Practice Work Group

Contact the MRT Workforce Flexibility and Change of Scope of Practice Work Group

Share your thoughts with the Workforce Flexibility and Change of Scope of Practice work group by emailing mrtworkforce@health.state.ny.us.

Work Group Recommendations

Work Group Mission

  • This work group will develop a multi-year strategy to redefine and develop the workforce, to ensure that the comprehensive health care needs of New York's population are met in the future.
  • The proposed strategy will include redefining the roles of certain types of providers and aligning training and certification requirements with workforce development goals. The objective will be to formulate consensus recommendations and identify areas in statue, regulation and policy that would require changes in order to implement them.
  • The work group will consider proposals for implementation in FY 2012-2013 that would increase workforce flexibility, including those outlined in MRT #200.
  • The goal should be to create a consensus product that both builds and redefines the workforce to allow New York to ensure that the comprehensive health care needs of our population are met in the future.
  • The work group will discuss changes in health care settings outside the long term care sector, as well as changes to the scope of practice of advanced practice clinicians in all settings.
  • This work is related to MRT recommendation #200, Change in Scope of Practice for Mid-level Providers to Promote Efficiency and Lower Medicaid Costs.
  • Work group membership will include representatives of the State Education Department, New York State Nurses Association and other interested stakeholders.
  • Smaller groups within this work group will focus on several issues:
    1. Permit nurses (under their scope of practice exemption) to orient/direct home health aides (HHAs) and primary care workers to provide nursing care as is currently allowed in the consumer-directed personal assistance program;
    2. Allow licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to complete assessments in long-term care settings;
    3. Extend the use of medication aides into nursing homes;
    4. Expand the scope of practice of HHAs to include the administration of pre-poured medications to both self-directing and non-self directing individuals; and,
    5. Expand the scope of practice to allow dental hygienists to address the need for services in underserved areas.

Work Group Members

The members of the Workforce Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice work group were selected by co-chairs and MRT members William Ebenstein and George Gresham.

Co-chair: William Ebenstein, Ph.D., University Dean for Health and Human Services, City University of New York

Co-chair: George Gresham,President, 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East

  • Penny B. Abulencia, RN, MSN, Vice President, Loretto
  • Karen Coleman, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Workforce Development, New York State Department of Labor
  • Tom Curran, DDS, Steering Committee Chair, New York State Oral Health Coalition
  • Moira Dolan, Senior Assistant Director, Research and Negotiations Department, District Council 37
  • Joy Elwell, DNP, FNP, Chairperson, The Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State
  • Tina Gerardi, MS, RN, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, New York State Nurses Association
  • Valerie Grey, Executive Deputy Commissioner, New York State Education Department
  • Kathryn Haslanger, JD, MCRP, Vice President, Community Benefit and External Affairs, Visiting Nurse Service of New York
  • Jean Heady, Chair, NYS Rural Health Council
  • Frederick Heigel,Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Rural Health and Workforce, Healthcare Association of New York State
  • Robert Hughes, MD, FACS, President-Elect, Medical Society of the State of New York
  • David I. Jackson, MPAS, RPA-C, Past President, New York State Society of Physician Assistants
  • Lauren Johnston, Senior Assistant Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation
  • Tim Johnson, Executive Director, GNYHA Foundation, Center for Graduate Medical Education and Workforce Studies
  • Deborah King, Executive Director, 1199 SEIU Training and Employment Funds
  • Stephen Knight, Chief Executive Officer, United Helpers
  • Bruce McIver, President, League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes of New York
  • Jean Moore, Director, Center for Health Work Force Studies
  • Bryan O'Malley, Executive Director, Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of New York State
  • Peggy Powell, National Director, Curriculum and Workforce Development, Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute
  • Kathleen Preston, Vice Chancellor for Financial Services and Health Affairs, State University of New York
  • Bill Stackhouse, PhD, Director of Workforce Development, Community Health Care Association of New York State
  • Audrey Weiner, DSW, MPH, President and CEO, Jewish Home Lifecare
  • Douglas Wissmann, CFO, Hillside Manor Rehabilitation and Extended Care
  • Mary Ellen Yankosky, RDH, BS, Director, Policy and Advocacy, Dental Hygienists' Association of the State of New York

Work Group Meetings

PLEASE NOTE:Space for meeting observers is EXTREMELY limited (first 20-25 people only – others will be turned away). Bring picture ID for access to all buildings.

A conference call phone number to dial in to listen (only) to these meetings will be posted to the MRT Web site at least one day in advance of each meeting.

Monday, October 3, 2011, 10:30am to 3:30pm

  • NYS Department of Health
  • Main Conference Room, 875 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12206

Additional meetings will be scheduled and information will be posted here when available.

  • Minutes from October 3 Workforce Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice Work Group meeting
  • Recorded Conference Call from October 3 Work Force Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice Work Group meeting

Thursday, October 27, 2011, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

  • NYC - NYS Department of Health Metropolitan Area Regional Office
  • 90 Church Street, 4th Floor, Conference Room A/B, Manhattan
  • Minutes from October 27 Workforce Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice Work Group meeting
  • Recorded Conference Call from October 27 Work Force Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice Work Group meeting
  • Meeting Materials

Monday, November 7, 2011, 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM

  • NYC - NYS Department of Health Metropolitan Area Regional Office
  • 90 Church Street, 4th Floor, Conference Room A/B, Manhattan
  • Minutes from November 7 Workforce Flexibility/Change of Scope of Practice Work Group meeting
  • Recorded Conference Call from November 7 Workforce Flexibility/Change of Scope of PracticeWork Group meeting
  • Meeting Materials