At your request, we have compiled information on nursing staff issues at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, which is operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and provides direct care to approximately 710 veterans. The Veterans Home includes four main residence halls that are separately licensed nursing homes and are regulated by the Department of Health and Family Services.
DVA spent $18.1 million in fiscal year (FY) 2002-03 on salaries - including overtime costs - and fringe benefits for nursing staff working at the Veterans Home. Overtime payments totaling $1.2 million represented only 6.5 percent of nursing staff expenditures. However, we found that most nursing staff at the Veterans Home worked more than 80 hours in a two-week pay period we reviewed. In June 2003, 22 of 31 full-time nurse clinicians, 17 of 31 full-time licensed practical nurses, and 126 of 165 full-time certified nursing assistants worked more than 80 hours. Furthermore, employees in part-time positions defined as 40 hours in a two-week pay period, worked an average of 77 hours.
DVA staff report that significant vacancy rates have led to the extra time required to meet minimum staffing levels for nursing homes under state law. We note that no citations were issued to the Veterans Home in FY 2002-03 because of insufficient staffing. It also has higher staff retention rates than other Wisconsin nursing homes.
DVA has developed several initiatives designed to retain current nursing staff and to recruit additional staff to fill vacancies. While it is still too early to assess the effectiveness of these initiatives, the vacancy rate fell during the first ten months of 2003, particularly for licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants. Nevertheless, a competitive labor market for nursing staff remains an obstacle to filling vacancies, and 25.0 percent of nurse clinician positions at the Veterans Home were vacant in October 2003.
I hope you find this information useful. Please contact me if you have additional questions.
Sincerely,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
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State of Wisconsin
Office of the Governor
January 30, 2004
The Honorable, The Senate:
I am pleased to nominate and with the advice and consent of the Senate, do appoint Van Goethem, Rick,
of Green Bay, as a member of the Examining Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, Professional Engineers, Designers and Land Surveyors, to serve for the term ending July 1, 2005.
Sincerely,
JIM DOYLE
Governor
Read and referred to committee on Labor, Small Business Development and Consumer Affairs.
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Senator Lazich, with unanimous consent, asked that the Senate recess until 3:30 P.M.
12:14 P.M.
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3:30 P.M.
The Senate reconvened.
Senator A. Lasee in the chair.
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The Chair noted the possible lack of a quorum.
The roll was called and the following Senators answered to their names:
Senators Breske, Brown, Carpenter, Chvala, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, M. Meyer, Moore, Panzer, Plale, Reynolds, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Welch, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Absent with leave - None.
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Senator Panzer with unanimous consent, asked that all the appointments be taken up en masse.
Pruitt
, Chuck,
of Shorewood, as a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2009.
Read
Richlen, Beth,
of Stevens Point, as a member of the Board of Regents, to serve for the term ending May 1, 2005.
Read.
The question was: Confirmation?
The ayes and noes were required and the vote was: ayes, 33; noes, 0; absent or not voting, 0; as follows:
Ayes - Senators Breske, Brown, Carpenter, Chvala, Coggs, Cowles, Darling, Decker, Ellis, Erpenbach, S. Fitzgerald, Hansen, Harsdorf, Jauch, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Lassa, Lazich, Leibham, M. Meyer, Moore, Panzer, Plale, Reynolds, Risser, Robson, Roessler, Schultz, Stepp, Welch, Wirch and Zien - 33.
Noes - None.
Absent or not voting - None.
Confirmed.
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By Patrick E. Fuller, chief clerk.
Mr. President:
I am directed to inform you that the Assembly has adopted and asks concurrence in:
Assembly Bill 14
Assembly Bill 32
Assembly Bill 210
Assembly Bill 247
Assembly Bill 418
Assembly Bill 424
Assembly Bill 443
Assembly Bill 462
Assembly Bill 474
Assembly Bill 533
Assembly Bill 543
Assembly Bill 551
Assembly Bill 560
Assembly Bill 608
Assembly Bill 615
Assembly Bill 678
Assembly Bill 683
Concurred in:
Senate Bill 6
Senate Bill 279
Senate Bill 320
Senate Bill 326
Senate Joint Resolution 49
Senate Joint Resolution 51
Senate Joint Resolution 53
Senate Joint Resolution 54
Senate amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 323
Refused to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor:
Senate Bill 214
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Assembly Bill
14
Relating to: notification to law enforcement of a sexual offender's residence.
By Representatives J. Fitzgerald, Gundrum, Powers, Ainsworth, Albers, Bies, Coggs, Freese, Gielow, Gronemus, Grothman, Gunderson, Hines, Jeskewitz, Kaufert, Krawczyk, Kreibich, LeMahieu, M. Lehman, Musser, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Shilling, Staskunas, Stone, Turner, Underheim, Vukmir, Ward, Vrakas and McCormick; cosponsored by Senators S. Fitzgerald, Leibham, Breske, Kanavas, Kedzie, A. Lasee, Reynolds, Stepp, Roessler and Lazich.
Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy.
Assembly Bill
32
Relating to: designating and marking STH 122 as the Harriet Tubman Memorial Highway.
By Representatives Bies, Freese, Berceau, Coggs, Gronemus, Gunderson, Jensen, Krawczyk, Miller, McCormick, Olsen, Ott, Owens, Plouff, Seratti, Sinicki, Turner, Van Roy, Young and Morris; cosponsored by Senators Welch, George, Hansen, Kanavas, Kedzie and Roessler.
