Health Department under hiring freeze
Oklahoma State Department of Health under hiring freeze
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Published: August 21, 2008
The Oklahoma State Department of Health's budget woes are taking a toll on the agency's ability to inspect and investigate licensed long-term care facilities.
The department has about 25 positions vacant for long-term care surveyors — about one-quarter of the staff authorized to investigate complaints and conduct annual surveys at each licensed facility. There also are about 100 vacancies in county health departments, 69 of which are nursing staff. The department began not filling vacancies in June 2007. Two weeks ago, it implemented a "hard hiring freeze," meaning positions will not be filled unless senior leadership makes an exception based on critical need. The department is searching for ways to fund about $14 million in accumulated increases in unfunded employee health insurance and retirement benefits over a 3 1/2-year period. Kevin Pipes, chief of policy for the state Health Department, said the Sooner Start program also faces a $3 million to $3.5 million shortfall for the current fiscal year. It is an early intervention program for developmentally delayed children ages 3 and under. Pipes said the increased cost of doing business and a decrease in federal funds also has led to cutbacks affecting the inspection program. Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, residential care homes, assisted-living centers, continuum of care homes and intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded. The Health Department's overall budget for fiscal year 2009 is about $380 million, essentially the same as the year before. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
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