Sec. 25. Nursing home labor force program.

230 words·~1 min read·/il/chapter-30/act-772/25

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(a)The Department of Public Health, contingent upon approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, shall establish a nursing home labor force promotion, expansion, and retention program no later than January 1, 2020 using moneys appropriated from the Equity in Long-term Care Quality Fund.

(b)Components of the program shall include, but are not limited to:

(1)a public relations campaign to encourage people to become nursing home workers;

(2)scholarships for certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses; and

(3)retention incentives for nursing home workers.

(c)The Department shall establish partnerships with one or more community colleges or universities to execute the program. Sixty percent of the scholarships provided by the program shall be distributed to candidates living in counties with 3,000,000 or more residents. Preferential scholarship consideration shall be given to certified nursing assistants, single parents, and applicants from communities that are economically depressed or that have high percentages of Medicaid beneficiaries, immigrants, or racial or ethnic minorities.

(d)The Department shall report to the General Assembly no later than January 30, 2020 on the status of the establishment of the program. No later than January 1, 2021, and each January 1 thereafter, the Department shall report to the General Assembly the number of scholarships awarded during the preceding year and the demographics of the awardees.