LETTER

Rep. Lima, champion of our most vulnerable elders

Posted 8/30/22

To the Editor,

As the President & CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA), an association with 64 member facilities representing 80 percent of the profession, I am writing to …

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LETTER

Rep. Lima, champion of our most vulnerable elders

Posted

To the Editor,


As the President & CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association (RIHCA), an association with 64 member facilities representing 80 percent of the profession, I am writing to recognize the tireless work of Rep. Charlene Lima in support of RI elders who reside in nursing homes and the dedicated staff who care for them 24/7/365. Over the past decade, Rep. Lima has advocated for nursing home residents when prior governors proposed deep Medicaid cuts to nursing home reimbursement. She also fought to provide annual inflation increases to adequately cover the cost of care and to allow facilities to increase staff wages through sustainable reimbursement.

Rep. Lima understands the major challenges facing Rhode Island’s nursing facilities. Eighty-seven percent of nursing homes in our state are operating “At Risk” – losing 7.5 percent margins or worse. This is up from just 19 percent operating at that level as recently as 2019. Five RI nursing homes have closed since the start of the pandemic. Rep. Lima’s advocacy and action to preserve and improve Medicaid reimbursement that funds the care for 70 percent of RI elders in nursing homes have helped to prevent additional closures. Facility closures are always heartbreaking. Residents are displaced from a facility they call home. Their routines are disrupted, and they lose connections with their friends and the staff who cared for them. Staff lose their jobs, and the families of the residents and staff are also impacted. Rep. Lima’s actions have helped to sustain the nursing homes that these residents call home. She has worked to preserve vital health care jobs and those workers’ livelihood.

Rep. Lima is a proven champion for our most vulnerable elders and the dedicated health care workers who care for them. While RI nursing homes still face a myriad of challenges, they are fortunate to have a fighter like Rep. Lima in their corner.


John Gage

Rhode Island Health Care Association

President & CEO

Rep. Lima, letters, editorial

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