State Workforce Strategies – Archive

(05/20/21) New State Law Requirements for Health Care Worker Protections During A Declared State of Emergency
This memo from the Washington State Hospital Association highlights the requirements put into law for health workforce protections as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the declared state of emergency to deal with it.

(04/21/21) To Relieve Healthcare Workers Shortage, Congress Considers Recapturing Unused Visas
This article from The National Law Review highlights a bill recently reintroduced to the US Senate, the Health Workforce Resilience Act. This act seeks to recapture unused visas and remove caps based on country, for these visas among other efforts, in order to incentivize foreign-trained health care workers to practice in the US in areas experiencing shortages.

(04/05/21) Giving it Our Best Shot – Statewide Vaccination Plans (UPDATED)
This toolkit offers state-level guidance on eligibility for vaccine rollouts to assist employers, health care systems, and long-term care facilities. Although this list is not all-inclusive, it connects to resources specific to each state.

(04/03/21) New Way for Health Care Providers to Volunteer as COVID-19 Vaccinators
Virginia Governor has announced efforts to increase the vaccination workforce in Virginia and improve vaccine distribution. Recently signed legislation will expand which providers are eligible to provide vaccines, combining with recent executive orders to increase vaccination flexibility from providers.

(03/18/21) Report: Pandemic Accelerated Health Care Workforce Challenges
The Wisconsin Hospital Association has released a report evaluating how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed health care delivery in Wisconsin, as well as what improvements can be made in the future.

(03/15/21) State Responses to Address Workforce Needs in the Initial Wave of the Pandemic
This research brief summarizes findings on how states prepared for and responded to the pandemic. Themes include regulatory flexibility, surge capacity for acute care services, and impacts on both ambulatory care services and the health professions educational pipeline.

(03/04/21) A Review Of State Health Department COVID-19 Websites: Concerns And Recommendations
This blog post from Health Affairs offers a review of websites set up by state-level health departments across the United States to address COVID-19 vaccination, highlighting issues and offering suggestions for improvement. Many health care providers are expressing difficulty finding information on becoming vaccine providers, with inconsistency in terminology and lack of clear pathways to information.

(02/24/21) State Launches Portal to Connect Health Workers With Jobs
Colorado has launched an online portal to help connect health care workers with jobs in the state. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown need for improving the strength of the public health workforce and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment hopes this portal may help fill as many as 100 positions.

(02/10/21) House Democrats Propose Multibillion-dollar COVID-19 Relief Package
House Democrats are proposing a multibillion-dollar COVID-19 relief package that includes a large investment in public health, which experts say has been underfunded for years. Included in the democrats proposal is 7. 5 billion dollars to the HHS for the public workforce and grants to state and local health departments to hire more staff, including community health workers, contact tracers, nurses and epidemiologists.

(01/21/21) South Dakota Governor Looks to Make Telehealth Coverage Permanent
An article outlining South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s plans to permanently extend emergency telehealth rules enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(01/10/21) Governor Cuomo Announces Proposal to Expand Access to Telehealth for All as Part of 2021 State of the State
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a proposal to expand access to telehealth for all New Yorkers by making permanent and further expanding many of the pandemic-related expansions. Telehealth use has increased dramatically following changes to regulation to ensure reimbursement and efforts to keep providers and patients safe from COVID-19 infection.

(01/08/21) Massachusetts Grants Hospitals Flexibility with Nurse Staffing Ratios
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has announced hospitals with less than 20% capacity can apply for exemption to state mandated nurse-to-patient ratios in an effort to meet the demand imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

(01/04/21) Cuomo Threatens Fines for Providers That Don’t Use Vaccines Quickly
New regulation from the New York State Department of Health was announced by Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding the need of health care providers within the state to utilize all their vaccine allocations within 7 days or risk fines and loss of future vaccine allocations. During a press conference, it was announced that less than half of all vaccines distributed thus far have been used.

(01/04/21) Massachusetts Governor Signs Law Safeguarding Telehealth Coverage
Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts has signed a law to make permanent many of the telehealth-related regulations put in place to enable better access to virtual treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new bill will require permanent rate parity on certain health services and an expanded scope of practice for some providers, among other provisions.

(01/04/21) Supporting Health Care Competition in the Era of COVID-19: 3 Legislative Models for States
This post to the Health Affairs blog provides some recommendations on ways for states to target legislation to improve competition and bring down costs in the era of COVID-19. These recommendations include bans on anticompetitive provider contract clauses, implementing certification of public advantage laws, and modifying scope-of-practice laws for providers.

(12/30/20) California Is Overriding Its Limits on Nurse Workloads as COVID-19 Surges
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in California, nurses are being required to take on as many as 50% more patients at a time. California is the only state that has mandated limits on nursing workloads, but these limits have been waived in order to meet the demands of COVID-19.

(12/19/20) ‘I Failed’: Operation Warp Speed Leader Takes Responsibility for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Confusion
Governors of multiple states have complained of receiving fewer COVID-19 vaccines than originally promised from the federal government. The leader of Operation Warp Speed, General Gustave Perna, states he takes responsibility for communication issues and that there should be no further issues with production or distribution of the vaccines.

(12/18/20) Oregon Health Insurers Agree to Keep Paying for Telehealth Through June 2021
Oregon’s Department of Consumer and Business Services has announced an agreement with major insurance plans in Oregon to continue coverage for telehealth services at least through June 2021, after the state experienced rapid growth in telehealth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

(12/16/20) VA Is Increasingly Leaning on Contract Nurses As COVID-19 Cases Surge
The federal Veterans Affairs Department is hiring tens of thousands of workers, including contract nurses, in order to meet demands of surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, including infection and hospitalization of VA staff. Even amid the hiring surge there are still tens of thousands of vacancies within the VA system, with employees and groups representing them detailing the strain.

(12/07/20) Murphy Indicates He Could Make Info on COVID Outbreaks Among Hospital Staff Public
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has announced the state may soon provide the public with information regarding COVID-19 outbreaks among hospital staff. Currently it is optional for hospitals to release this information.

(12/02/20) Strained Wisconsin Hospitals Asking Staff to Return to Work During Quarantine
Hospitals in Wisconsin are resorting to requesting staff to return to work earlier in their quarantine process after potential exposure to COVID-19. The change to protocol comes as 40% of hospitals in Wisconsin are reporting critical staffing shortages and are reaching critical capacity.

(11/30/20) Governor Cuomo Announces Winter Plan to Combat COVID-19 Surge in New York State
New emergency hospital procedures have been announced from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. These procedures are encouraging hospitals to prepare to boost workforce capacity through bringing in retired health care workers, as well as coordinating transfers for patients to other facilities statewide.

(11/30/20) California Urges Hospitals to Test All Workers for Virus
New guidance released by the California Department of Public Health urges all acute care hospitals to test all staff members for COVID-19 weekly, beginning the week of December 7. All health care workers deemed to be high risk must be tested, including doctors, nurses, students, volunteers, administrative workers, and food service workers in a hospital setting, regardless of their status as paid or unpaid.

(11/27/20) COVID-19 in Illinois Updates: Here’s What’s Happening on Thanksgiving Weekend
This article covers the expectations and provides updates on the current surge of COVID-19 and plans for addressing the pandemic in Illinois. The Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health expects cases, hospitalizations, and deaths will surge in the next week or 2 following the Thanksgiving holiday.

(11/24/20) Asymptomatic Health Care Workers With COVID-19 Allowed to Continue Working in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma State Department of Health has announced health care workers who have tested positive with COVID-19 but are not experiencing symptoms of the disease will be allowed to continue working at hospitals and long-term care facilities. This follows recent moves and considerations across the United States to address health care workforce shortages.

(11/18/20) States Are Getting Ready to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccines. What Do Their Plans Tell Us So Far?
This issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation investigates how prepared states are for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. The brief looks at the the priorities for distribution of a vaccine as well as which providers will administer the vaccine and how the data on vaccine use will be collected and reported.

(11/13/20) Northeast Governors to Meet to Coordinate on Coronavirus Surge
The governors of the northeastern states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont are meeting to discuss ways to align COVID-19 response plans between their states. New York and New Jersey have already begun aligning some regulations to address spikes in COVID-19 infection in recent days.

(11/13/20) As Cases Soar, Massachusetts Is Better Prepared to Handle Coronavirus Surge, Baker Says
As Massachusetts experiences a rise in hospitalizations and cases of COVID-19, Governor Charlie Baker has announced the planned reopening of several field hospitals previously opened in the spring. Hospitals are also planning to convert 400 acute care beds to intensive care unit beds to help meet demand.

(11/12/20) ‘At the Breaking Point’: Utah Shatters Single-day COVID-19 Record With 3,919 New Cases, 9 Deaths
Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert, announces actions taken in response to the recent uncontrolled outbreak of COVID-19 being experienced in the state. A mask mandate, restrictions in gathering, and increasing capacity for testing are all means announced to help keep hospitalizations down and preserve intensive care unit capacity.

(11/11/20) Ohio Governor Warns Hospitals Could Be Overwhelmed With COVID-19 Cases in ‘A Few Short Weeks’
Ohio Gov Mike DeWine discussed how the state is on track to lose its ability to provide emergency care in just a few weeks. Cases have quadrupled in the past month and DeWine shows concern on several fronts for how the state will be able to handle things if this trend continues.

(11/11/20) North Dakota Lets Healthcare Workers With COVID Stay on Job as Record Surge Strains Hospitals
North Carolina is seeing 60% more hospitalizations from COVID-19 than just four weeks ago and hospitals are struggling to keep up. This article dives into various perspectives on how the state is managing the frontline workers, the risks of allowing asymptomatic but COVID-positive nurses to keep working, and what these workers would to see happen at the government level.

(11/11/20) Wisconsin Health Official Warns State Nearing ‘Tipping Point’ on COVID Hospitalizations
According to this article, the COVID-19 caseload in Wisconsin is as bad as the severe wave seen early on in New York City. The chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services gives specific data and talks about how overcrowding/understaffing is already causing problems for patient care.

(11/10/20) Most States Aren’t Ready to Distribute the Leading COVID-19 Vaccine
ProPublica has published a review of state distribution plans for the leading COVID-19 vaccine, based on an announcement this week on early success from Pfizer. The investigation finds that most states, especially those with large rural populations, will find difficulty distributing the vaccine based on the current storage and transportation requirements to maintain the vaccine effectiveness.

(11/06/20) Governor: New Mexico in ‘Extreme Crisis’ With COVID-19
The Governor of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has announced the state is in “an extreme crisis” addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and will have difficulties meeting the staffing demands to conduct adequate testing and treat hospitalized patients.

(10/21/20) NJ Hospitals Prepare for What’s Ahead as Cases Rise
With cases of COVID-19 rising across the United States, hospitals in New Jersey are preparing for another potential surge in hospitalizations. Although any future surge would be met with adequate stock of personal protective equipment, meeting staffing issues remain a concern for New Jersey.

(10/20/20) CARES Act Grant to Expand Telehealth Services for Seniors in Maine
A new federal grant to the University of New England is being used to launch telehealth services for residents in rural Maine. This telehealth program will incorporate wellness services and advanced care planning.

(10/18/20) Healthcare Workers, High-risk People Will Get Priority for COVID-19 Vaccine in New York: Governor
An article highlighting an announcement by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that the state will prioritize distribution of any approved COVID-19 vaccine to front-line health care workers and the elderly first. The health care workers prioritized include those directly working with patients in primary care, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

(10/15/20) Montana Hospitals Grapple With Staffing Challenges Amid COVID-19 Surge
This article discusses the move from hospitals in Montana to work with the state to meet issues with staffing, which are being exacerbated by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. While previously in the pandemic hospitals would lend some of their workforce across the state as needed, they are currently unable to with a strained workforce experiencing surges in many parts of the state.

(10/07/20) How Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model Has Helped Hospitals Manage the COVID-19 Stress Test
This blog post from Health Affairs covers how Maryland’s unique Total Cost of Care alternative payment method has handled stress from the COVID-19 pandemic. This unique system and partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is in part credited for Maryland’s success in avoiding reaching maximum intensive care unit capacity and major financial pressure from the pandemic.

(10/07/20) Due to Increased Hospitalizations in the Fox Valley, Gov. Evers Announces Wisconsin State Fair Park Alternate Care Facility to Accept COVID-19 Patients October 14
A press release outlining plans from the Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, to open a field hospital following statewide hospitalizations tripling over the course of the month. The field hospital is meant to treat those who are seeking treatment for COVID-19 but not seriously ill patients, who may need an intensive care unit.

(10/01/20) New Laws Keep Pandemic-Weary California at Forefront of Health Policy Innovation
This article from Kaiser Health News reviews how the pandemic changed plans California had for wide-scale reform in their health policy, instead leading in a new direction with many first-in-the-nation health reforms relating to the COVID-19 pandemic itself.

(09/25/20) Governor Abbott Announces Agreement With Health Insurers to Continue Payment Parity for Telehealth
An article covering Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement that major insurers in Texas have agreed to continue reimbursing for virtual care at the same rate as in person care, a change that was enacted to help maintain capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(09/24/20) California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats
Threats to health care workers have led to an executive order from Governor Gavin Newsom of California which offers to make their home addresses confidential. Health care workers in California have received threats related to their work in treating and prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(09/14/20) Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19
An aggregate, frequently updated page issue brief covering the changes in Medicaid Emergency actions approved by states in response to COVID-19.

(09/09/20) Medicaid Managed Care Rates and Flexibilities: State Options to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
This issue brief released from the Kaiser Family Foundation describes many of the flexibilities and other changes states have implemented to their Medicaid programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reimbursement changes seeking to increase access and coverage for COVID-19 related visits are common themes.

(09/25/20) Governor Abbott Announces Agreement With Health Insurers to Continue Payment Parity for Telehealth
An article covering Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement that major insurers in Texas have agreed to continue reimbursing for virtual care at the same rate as in person care, a change that was enacted to help maintain capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(09/24/20) California Expands Privacy Protection to Public Health Workers Amid Threats
Threats to health care workers have led to an executive order from Governor Gavin Newsom of California which offers to make their home addresses confidential. Health care workers in California have received threats related to their work in treating and prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(09/14/20) Medicaid Emergency Authority Tracker: Approved State Actions to Address COVID-19
An aggregate, frequently updated page issue brief covering the changes in Medicaid Emergency actions approved by states in response to COVID-19.

(09/09/20) Medicaid Managed Care Rates and Flexibilities: State Options to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
This issue brief released from the Kaiser Family Foundation describes many of the flexibilities and other changes states have implemented to their Medicaid programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reimbursement changes seeking to increase access and coverage for COVID-19 related visits are common themes.

(08/30/20) Hawaii’s Hospitals are in Urgent Need of Nurses to Tackle a Surge in COVID-19 Cases
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are on the rise in Hawaii and nurses are in short supply, leading to concerns about a problem that continues to worsen. Many of the employee representative organizations within Hawaii are collaborating to bring more nurses and other health care workers to Hawaii to help deal with the surge.

(08/28/20) ADA Supports Bill Addressing Workforce Shortages, Disparities
This press release from the American Dental Association praises a bipartisan bill introduced to the Senate with the aim of investing in the National Health Service Corps and National Disaster Medical System in an effort to improve surge capacity and reduce existing workforce shortages.

(07/27/20) Rapid Testing Aid Coming to Florida Nursing Homes, but Concerns Remain
A report on the implementation of rapid testing aid to nursing homes in Florida. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to send testing machines to every skilled nursing facility in the country.

(07/24/20) Citing ‘Overwhelming’ Spread, Pa. Moves to Add Staff, App to Trace the Coronavirus
An article covering the efforts Pennsylvania is making to address further spread of COVID-19. The state is spending $27 million to boost the contact tracing workforce as well as implement an app that will help inform individuals if they have been in contact with anyone who tests positive for COVID-19.

(07/20/20) State Announces Actions to Expand Access to Mental Health Services
An article discussing a new plan announced by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to expand access to mental health services within the state. Some of the strategies to be used include granting temporary licensure to recent masters and doctoral graduates in social work and counseling, granting expanded scope of practice to advanced practical nurses, and granting extension to permits for psychologists.

(07/16/20) Revisiting The Role Of Law And Politics In Pandemic Response At NYC Health + Hospitals
A blog post published in Health Affairs discussing how the practices of the state of New York and New York City impacted the largest public health system in the United States, New York City Health + Hospitals, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Oversight, executive orders, and changes to scope of practice all worked to enhance and expand the ability of the health workforce to address the pandemic and save lives.

(07/07/20) Governor Lamont Provides Update on Connecticut’s Coronavirus Response Efforts
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has announced a review of long-term care facilities in his recent coronavirus response update. This review will identify what issues have led to high rates of infection and mortality in nursing homes and what best practices are to protect the patients and enable the most safe and effective treatment from health care providers.

(07/07/20) Gov. Ron DeSantis Reiterates Commitment to Curbing the Spread of COVID-19 in Long Term Care Facilities
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the creation of a care center in Miami, Florida, that will be dedicated to treating exclusively COVID-19 infected individuals from long-term care facilities. This will allow dedicated and committed bed space for COVID-19 treatment, and protect the health workforce and their patients in non-COVID-19 focused nursing homes.

(07/07/20) Distrust, Underfunding Hinders COVID-19 Contact Tracing
This article discusses many of the problems with contact tracing efforts across the United States. Low engagement, distrust of contact tracers, and lack of staffing are all contributing to response rates well below the 75% recommended by public health experts.

(07/06/20) Factors Associated with Nursing Home Infections and Fatalities in New York State During the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis
The New York State Department of Health released a report analyzing COVID-19 infections in nursing homes and the characteristics of the infection and fatalities. The report gives details on the precautions and strategies used to minimize risk of workforce infection and evaluates how policies of nursing homes may impact the spread of the disease.

(07/02/20) 25M Long-Term Care Plan Expanding Home-Based Options Introduced by Raimondo, in Light of COVID-19
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has released a plan to spend $25 million on expansion of home health care options for those in Rhode Island. This funding will help nursing facilities with infection control, as well as targeted investments in home-based workforce programs.

(07/02/20) Oregon Says it Has 600 Health Workers Ready to Track Coronavirus. Many Have Other Jobs
The state of Oregon has prepared a workforce of 600 contact tracers to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases in Oregon are on the rise in some counties. This workforce includes a majority of workers who are already working other positions, and there are concerns about the regional distribution of these workers.

(07/01/20) Arizona Tells Pence it Needs Additional 500 Health Care Workers as COVID-19 Cases Soar
The Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, has told United States Vice President Mike Pence that Arizona needs additional health care workers to meet the surge in COVID-19 cases. Pence leads the White House Coronavirus Taskforce.

(06/29/20) Public Health Emergency Being Renewed by HHS
The spokesman for the United States Department of Health and Human Services has announced the department will be extending the Public Health Emergency for 90 days beyond the current ending date of July 25. This extension includes a number of provisions to increase reimbursement for treating COVID patients as well as lifting restrictions on telehealth regulations.

(06/29/20) Tennessee Governor Extends State of Emergency Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic
The Governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, has extended the State of Emergency in Tennessee as a result of recent rises in positive cases of COVID-19. This executive order contains many health workforce provisions, including regulations on facilities and extensions of licensing and registration for providing care through the end of August.

(06/22/20) State Efforts to Expand Medicaid Coverage & Access to Telehealth in Response to COVID-19
An issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation covering the ways in which states expanded telehealth access for Medicaid beneficiaries. This brief covers the broad authority states assume over what services are covered under telehealth in their Medicaid programs, as well as the additional actions taken to improve access for both patients and providers to telehealth technologies.

(06/21/20) Gov. Polis Extends State of Disaster Emergency for Colorado
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has announced he is extending the State of Disaster Emergency for his state. Also included in this extension are executive orders to ensure Medicaid beneficiaries are able to be served by an adequate health workforce.

(06/18/20) As States Reopen, Do They Have the Workforce They Need to Stop Coronavirus Outbreaks?
An article from NPR discussing the strategies states have been using to respond to the demands of COVID-19 contact tracing. As the needs are changing, some states are finding ways to meet their expected needs while others are planning for future moves or not making plans altogether.

(06/10/20) Louisiana Lawmakers Expand Access To Mental Health Services Via Telehealth
Issues with reaching those in need of behavioral health services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is being addressed by new legislation to expand telehealth guidelines in Louisiana. These expanded guidelines will allow providers to use telehealth to treat their patients, pending a signature from the Louisiana governor.

(06/08/20) State Health Director Tells Arizona Hospitals to ‘Fully Activate’ Emergency Plans
Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, has written a letter to hospitals in Arizona directing them to make preparations for enacting a state crisis plan to ensure they are able to meet the demands of a potential surge in COVID-19 cases. This plan includes increasing capacity of hospitals as well as changing criteria for admission to hospitals, among others.

(06/08/20) University of Hawaii, DOH Begin Training COVID-19 Contact Tracers
The University of Hawaii and the Hawaii State Department of Health have announced that the first group of contact tracers have begun their training. A pilot program of 16 trainees is expected to train as many as 320 contact tracers to help Hawaii combat the spread of COVID-19.

(05/31/20) COVID-19 Related State Actions
An updated list from the Public Health Institute Center for Connected Health Policy on regulatory changes to telehealth and telemedicine practices across the United States, with clear descriptions of legal changes and sources linked for each state.

(05/27/20) RI lawmakers OK Bill Requiring Insurers Permanently Cover Telehealth Services
A bill signed into law by the Rhode Island legislature requires health insurers to cover telehealth services permanently. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo initially issued an executive order in March to cover telehealth services for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(05/26/20) COVID-19 and Access to Medical Care in the United States
An article from Allison K. Hoffman, a professor of law at University of Pennsylvania Law School, covering the strategies many states have implemented to address the COVID-19 crisis. These include assisting uninsured individuals, regulatory flexibility to health care providers, and increasing access to telehealth.

(05/26/20) Maine DHHS Expands COVID-19 Contact Tracing
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has announced an effort to expand contact tracing within their state to limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes a three-step plan of increasing personnel, deploying a new alert system, and expanding social support for those struggling.

(05/18/20) States Lead the Way in Responding to COVID-19 and Advancing Innovative Health Policy Solutions On Many Fronts
A blog post describing many of the strategies states implemented to improve access to health care and improving their health workforce capacities.

(05/13/20) COVID-19 Related State Actions
An updated list from the Public Health Institute Center for Connected Health Policy on regulatory changes to telehealth and telemedicine practices across the United States, with clear descriptions of legal changes and sources linked for each state.

(05/06/20) Gov. Wolf Outlines Plans to Create Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps to Support Fall COVID-19 Recovery Efforts
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has announced an initiative called the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps to increase testing and contact tracing, as well as provide for employment in the public health sector.

(05/06/20) The Nurse Practitioner Workforce And Its Role In The Massachusetts Health Care Delivery System
A policy brief from the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission discussing the role of nurse practitioners in providing care in Massachusetts. The brief recommends the removal of scope of practice restrictions and incident-to billing as solutions to improve the effectiveness of the nurse practitioner workforce in Massachusetts.

(05/06/20) Out-Of-State Medical Professionals Can Continue in New York
An article describing the executive order signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo allowing out of state health care professionals to continue working in New York State without a license until June 4.

(05/04/20) California Readies Army Of Coronavirus Detectives
The administration of California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a partnership with University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, San Francisco to train more than 3,000 employees per week to trace the spread of COVID-19 across California.

(05/04/20) NY Will Hire Contact Tracing ‘Army’ Of 17,000 To Battle Coronavirus, Cuomo Says
As part of the plan to reopen New York State, between 6,400 and 17,000 contact tracers are expected to be hired to track contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases within New York State. This effort will be coordinated with Connecticut and New Jersey.

(04/06/20) On the Front Lines of COVID-19: A Blueprint for Health and Human Services from Washington State
This article examines Washington State’s efforts to combat COVID-19 over an historic six week period from January to March 2020.

(04/03/20) Policies to Encourage Rapid Expansion and Making Better Use of New York’s Health Workforce
This research brief highlights efforts by New York State to assist the health workforce’s surge capacity, maintenance of the medical education pipeline, and regulatory flexibility around the COVID-19 pandemic.

(04/02/20) Silver Linings in State Responses to COVID-19
An article about 5 state responses to COVID-19 including: occupational licensing, scope of practice regulation, telemedicine and telehealth regulation, continuing education requirements, and Certificate-of-Need (CON) Laws.

(03/30/20) California Starts Recruiting Retired and Student Doctors, Nurses to Handle Surge in Severely Sick People
An article outlining how California is recruiting retired doctors and student doctors to deal with the surge in the COVID-19 pandemic.