FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Representative Dan Knodl
November 7, 2011 (608) 266-3796
Knodl Nursing Home Bill on Its Way to Governor’s Desk
Proposal to enhance care receives bipartisan support
MADISON – Nursing homes will have greater ability to provide quality care and address violations under a bill approved by the State Assembly in a 70-22 bipartisan vote earlier today. Senate Bill 212 now moves to Governor Scott Walker’s desk for his consideration according to Representative Dan Knodl (R-Germantown).
SB 212 seeks to improve nursing home quality by giving the state Department of Health Services greater flexibility with existing nursing home enforcement tools, such as issuing a conditional or probationary license to a violating nursing home, and even suspending admissions of new applications to the home. The bill also creates a board of stakeholders to direct money for improvement programs, cleans up regulatory systems and stops the counterproductive practice of penalizing a nursing home twice for the same offense.
“After working with stakeholders on both sides of this issue and my Senate colleague Senator Pam Galloway, I’m confident that SB 212 will continue our tradition of quality nursing home care in Wisconsin,” said Knodl. “This legislation will maintain Wisconsin’s commitment to those residences and the people they serve, while at the same time strengthening a system which has served as a national model.”
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