What's the plan for staffing Wisconsin's nursing homes for veterans? Republicans question Evers

May 17—TOWN OF DOVER — The mission that saw National Guard citizen soldiers and airmen serving as medical workers at understaffed nursing homes for veterans is now over. Republicans are continuing to questions Gov. Tony Evers on what the plan is now, as they assert the nursing homes will remain understaffed without a solution in sight.

They alleged Evers was continuing to use "Band-Aid" solutions for long-term problems.

Sunday was the final day that 16 National Guard members served at the Veterans Home at Union Grove in central Racine County, caring for veterans and their family members residing at the long-term care facility.

Two Racine County Republican legislators, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester and state Sen. Van Wanggaard of Racine, last week issued a letter that called on Evers to extend the mission. Evers declined.

All parties agreed that using the National Guard to supplement nursing home staff was a temporary fix; Congressional Republicans called on Evers in March to develop a plan to end the deployment, which began in January.

On Monday, Vos and Wanggaard issued a new letter.

In it, they wrote: "The Republican legislature has approved your budget requests related to staffing our Veterans Homes, including at Union Grove. In fact, we even broadened your authority to spend an additional $10 million to for (sic) emergency operations and staffing at the homes ... You have billions of federal dollars at your sole disposal to help alleviate problems at Union Grove. Yet to date, neither we, nor our veterans at Union Grove, our volunteers at Union Grove, or our hard-working staff at Union Grove have seen a plan to increase staffing.

"Rather, they have seen you withdraw the WNG (Wisconsin National Guard) lifeline while it was needed and before the withdrawal was required. You ended the WNG mission early. We have given you what you asked for, and in some ways more than you asked for. You have billions of federal dollars at your disposal. We ask you again: What is your plan to address the staffing crisis at the Veterans Home at Union Grove?"

Evers' office and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, which operates three veterans homes around the state, did not reply to requests for comment before press time Monday.

Last week, Wisconsin National Guard Maj. Joe Trovato said in an email that "The Wisconsin National Guard's presence at all healthcare facilities was always intended to be temporary in nature to assist the state in addressing the Omicron variant surge while simultaneously helping to alleviate staffing shortages at a critical time. The end of this mission was long-planned and based on the end of federal funding to support the Wisconsin National Guard's mobilization in support of the pandemic. The federal authorization for the National Guard's COVID-19 response will end July 1, necessitating the end of Wisconsin National Guard operations in the coming weeks so troops can begin transitioning back to their civilian lives."

Wanggaard and Vos noted that the mission could have been extended by at least another six weeks.

At least a dozen residents of the Veterans Home at Union Grove, which is technically located in Dover, died of COVID-19 during a pair of outbreaks in the first year of the pandemic.

The shortage of health care workers in Wisconsin is long-standing and well-documented.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association reported earlier this year:

— "Prior to 2021, about 1 in 4 CNAs would change jobs; in 2021 it was 1 in 3.

— "CNA turnover far exceeds every other segment of the hospital workforce.

— "Prior to 2021, about 1 in 10 RNs changed jobs annually; in 2021 that number was approaching 1 in 5."

Nurses and other hospital workers are also retiring at higher rates than they can be replaced, in part due to the Baby Boomer generation being significantly larger than the generations that have followed.

According to WHA: "In all segments of the workforce except licensed practical nurses, lab technologists and CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists), fewer than 1 in 4 employees are 55 or older ... As the large baby boom generation retires, employees and employers are experiencing a generational career crunch. Recruitment and retention strategies must appeal to a multi-generational and inclusive workforce. Not only is this key to competing for and retaining the younger workforce needed to care for an aging population, but communities benefit also when cared for by health care teams that reflect the populations they serve."

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