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WASHINGTON — Lutheran Services in America released a statement in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ proposed rule for minimum staffing requirements at skilled nursing facilities. Lutheran Services in America is one of the largest provider networks for services for older adults in the United States with nearly 200 member organizations working in long-term care, assisted living, and home- and community-based care.

Lutheran Services in America President and CEO Alesia Frerichs issued the following statement in response:

“We strongly urge the administration to reconsider the proposed mandate. We share the administration’s goal of quality nursing home care, but this proposal will have a disproportionate impact on access to care for people living in rural and other underserved communities.

“Rural nursing homes are disappearing due to a shrinking direct care workforce, not a lack of quality standards. The uniform application of minimum staffing requirements doesn’t get to the root of the problem: we need greater investment in developing the pipeline of skilled workers for these positions.

“We urge the administration to work toward solutions that address this crisis and support providers in recruiting and retaining the workforce needed to ensure that all older adults can remain in the communities of their choice.

“We will work to convince the administration that this rule is not the answer to increasing access to quality care for older adults, and that it will in fact will have a disproportionate impact on health outcomes for people in rural communities across the country.”

About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is a national network of 300 health and human services organizations that reaches one in 50 people in the United States each year. Recognized by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s top nonprofit organizations, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $23 billion in combined annual revenue. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lutheran Services in America leads innovative collaborations with its member organizations and partners in philanthropy, academia, healthcare and business to address the most critical challenges in our communities and empower people to lead their best lives.

To learn more, visit lutheranservices.org or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.