Kathleen Scribner

Support for HB 1179 An Act Relative to Minimum Staffing Services for Nursing Homes On December 2, 2025, the US Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), repealed Federal regulation that established baseline staffing for RNs, LPNs and certified nurse aides in nursing homes. Previously a nationwide upgrade for nursing home staffing ratios had been in place. This was initiated 2024 to improve infection control in response to the COVID epidemic and establish full-time equivalent staffing requirements for RN, LPN and nurse aide staffing. The quality controls established in 2024 are now cut short as the White House advances an executive order to “unleash prosperity through deregulation.” As a retired RN health care executive with many decades experience in program development and compliance, I appreciate the importance of regulation as an effective tool for quality control. This is especially true for government funded health care. Moreover, now is not the time to promote profit incentives (i.e., “prosperity through deregulation”) for long term care to our most vulnerable patient population. The best way to ensure healthcare quality for government funded programs is to establish measurable Quality Controls by Regulation. Staffing ratios reflecting reasonable staff to patient care plan needs can be an appropriate guideline for regulation. A requirement for 24-hour RN coverage should absolutely be the standard to ensure ready access for assessment concerns as they may arise. Page 2 Support for HB 1179 An Act Relative to Minimum Staffing Services for Nursing Homes The Feds (CMS) dropped the ball on nurse staffing requirements in long term care. The State of New Hampshire now needs to pick-up the ball and carry it for our aged and disabled citizens. HB 1179 provides a much-needed mandate and guidelines for development of well-coordinated, well-qualified staffing in New Hampshire’s nursing homes. Established ratios can be evaluated over time to determine effectiveness and level of coverage needed for ongoing quality assurance. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully submitted by: Kathleen Scribner, RN, BSN, MPH and Health Care Agent for my brother now living in LTC residence