CONCORD, N.H. — Two New Hampshire mothers who have been fighting a statewide nursing shortage for months have convinced state health officials to nearly double the wages for private duty nurses.
FOX25 has been following Heather Donnell and Audrey Gerkin as they lobbied state leaders to address the nursing crisis that has left local families without in-home care for severely and medically disabled children.
"It was determination...there were tears...we did not let up on them," Donnell said.
Thursday, the Governor's Commission on Medicaid Care Management announced a major change that will include increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatric and adult home nurses for the first time since 2006.
Health officials have said the historically low reimbursement rates in New Hampshire have prevented home healthcare placement agencies from attracting and retaining qualified nursing candidates, who instead seek employment and higher wages at hospitals or private practices.
Under the new proposal, rates for LPNs and RNs will increase by 25 percent for day shifts, and 46 percent for overnight and weekend shifts.
"It makes me feel hopeful that we might finally find somebody," Donnell told FOX25.
Donnell and Gerkin both have severely disabled and medically fragile children who require almost constant nursing supervision.
While both families have been approved for up to 80 hours a week of in-home care through Medicaid, they have received virtually no support because of the nursing crisis.
Gerkin said she is hopeful the new plan will allow a placement agency to find a good candidate to provide the care her daughter truly needs, while allowing Gerkin to focus on simply being a mother.
"It's doing the things that moms are supposed to do - and not nurses - to be caring for our kids," Gerkin said.
Cox Media Group
