THE GOVERNOR, DHS SECRETARY
DESIGNEE KAREN TIMBERLAKE SAID,
MORE THAN 270 HOSPITALS AND
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES HAVE
REQUESTED STAFFING BY THE
STATE.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT ALLOWING
VETERANS WITH MEDICAL
BACKGROUNDS TO TEMPORARILY
PERFORM CERTAIN DUTIES IN THE
HEALTHCARE SETTING WITHOUT FIRST
OBTAINING A LICENSE.
DE PERE SENATOR ANDRE JACQUE
COAUTHORED AND JOINS ME NOW.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON
THE PROGRAM.
>> THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ASK
IS HOW YOU'RE FEELING AFTER YOUR
OWN VERY SERIOUS BOUGHT WITH
COVID?
>> I'M FEELING GREAT.
FEELING GREAT.
GREAT TO BE WORKING ON
LEGISLATION AND YOU YOU BEEN A
VERY PRODUCTIVE SEASON.
AND OF COURSE THE MAGIC OF THE
SEASON.
>> THERE IS THAT AS WELL.
YOU HAVE FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE
WITH HOW MUCH CARE AND STAFFING
SOMEONE VENTILATED AND
CRITICALLY ILL TAKES.
DID THAT FACTOR IN AT ALL TO 2
IN LEGISLATURE THAT YOU'VE
INTRODUCED TO GET MILITARY
MEDICAL PERSONNEL INTO THE
HOSPITALS TO EASE THE CRUSH.
>> WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS
LEGISLATION GOING BACK TO BEFORE
THE SESSION STARTED.
FOR OVER A YEAR NOW WE'VE BEEN
PARTICIPATING STAKEHOLDERS AND
CERTAINLY YOU LOOK AT THE
WORKFORCE CHALLENGES AND I SERVE
ON THE COUNCIL AND WORKFORCE
INVESTMENT, BUT WE HAVE SERIOUS
CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT THE
ECONOMY IN TERMS OF WORKERS
LEAVING THE WORKFORCE QUICKER
THAN THEY ARE ENTERING IF.
THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING I
HAVE WORKED ON IN THE
LONG-TERM.
SOMETHING I HAVE WORKED ON
CLOSELY WITH VETERAN GROUPS FOR
A LONG TIME.
FOR THE VFW AND AMERICAN
LEGION.
WAS PLEASED TO WORK WITH THOSE
GROUPS THAT ARE VERY MUCH IN
SUPPORT OF THIS LEGISLATION, BUT
CERTAINLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT
HEALTHCARE NEEDS, THAT CERTAINLY
IS NOTHING NEW.
AND IN IS, THIS IS CERTAINLY
SOMETHING I THINK IS AN
INNOVATIVE PROGRAM.
CERTAINLY IS GOING TO HELP WITH
A CRITICAL NEED.
>> SO THE LEGISLATION WOULD
ALLOW THESE MILITARY MEDICS TO
TREAT PEOPLE UNDER SUPERVISION
WITHOUT A LICENSE.
WHO WOULD ASCERTAIN THEIR SKILLS
AND ABILITY?
>> WELL, YOU WOULD BASICALLY
HAVE TO HAVE A THE MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING THAT IS PROVIDED
BOTH TO THE EMPLOYER AS WELL AS
THERE IS OVERSIGHT BY THE
APPROPRIATE EXAMINING BOARD.
THERE HAS TO BE WORKING TOWARDS
A CREDENTIAL.
SO WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE
POST SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS THAT
HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED IN
SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
THEY'VE BEEN PART OF IF REALLY
THROUGHOUT.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU
KNOW WE WORK WITHIN THE EXISTING
STRUCTURE.
WE'VE TALKED TO THE
PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS THE
SYSTEMS LIKE THE HOSPITAL
ASSOCIATION, PRIMARY HEALTHCARE
ASSOCIATION, RURAL WISCONSIN,
HEALTH COOPERATIVE.
SO WE'RE CERTAINLY WORKING WITH
INDIVIDUALS THAT ALREADY HAVE A
VALUABLE SKILL SET THAT ARE ABLE
TO DO CERTAIN PROCEDURES THAT
MAY TIMES THROUGH MILITARY
MEDICS AND CORPSMAN TRAINING.
WE'RE 23409 TALKING ABOUT
SURGERY OR PRESCRIBING DRUGS
THAT SORT OF THING.
>> AS YOU SAY THE BILL WOULD
ALLOW FOR EVENTUAL LICENSE UR
WITH THE HELP FROM EMPLOYING
HOSPITALS, BUT WHY NOT LICENSE
THEM RIGHT OUT OF THE GATES?
>> WELL WE CURRENTLY HAVE CR
CREDENTIALS THAT MIGHT SPEAK TO
WHERE A INDIVIDUAL IS AT IN
TERMS OF THEIR SKILL LEVEL.
AND CERTAINLY JUST TO GO BACK
FOR A SECOND, ONE OF THE
FOCUSES WE REALLY HAVE HAD IS
HOW DO WE GET MORE OF OUR
MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN TO COME
BACK TO WISCONSIN?
WE HAVE AN ISSUE IN WISCONSIN
WHERE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE
ENTERING THE SERVICE AND NOT
COMING BACK PER CAPITA WE WERE
BEHIND.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD
OF FROM THIS MOST RECENT BUDGET,
BASICALLY ELIMINATING THE TAX ON
ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PAY WHICH
MANY TIMES FORCED OUR MILITARY
MEN AND WOMEN TO SWITCH THEIR
RESIDENCY OUT OF STATE AS SOON
AS THEY WERE DEPLOYED OR WENT
OUT FOR TRAINING.
AND SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
BASICALLY SAY, YOU HAVE A SKILL
SET, A WORK ETHIC AND WE WANT TO
KEEP YOU IN THE HEALTHCARE
PROFESSION.
WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO
YOU KNOW, SHORTLY AFTER YOU END
YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE BEING
ABLE TO CONTINUE SERVING HERE ON
CIVILIAN BASES.
>> HOW MANY MEDICNESS COS
COULD THIS LEGISLATION PROVIDE
TO WISCONSIN?
ANY ESTIMATES?
>> IF YOU LOOK AT VIRGINIA STILL
A RECENT PROGRAM, THEY'VE HAD
OVER 350.
I'M SURE THEY ARE PROBABLY
PUSHING OVER 400.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE SOMEWHERE IN
THE AROUND 50 TO 60 PLUS WITHIN
THE FIRST YEAR.
SO IT CERTAINLY I THINK IS STILL
SUBSTANTIAL AND I CERTAINLY
THINK THAT IT CAN BE YOU KNOW
MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT DEPENDING
ON YOU KNOW AGAIN, WE HAVE
THINGS LIKE OUTREACH
HISTORICALLY THAT WE'VE DONE ON
MILITARY BASES THAT WE'VE
STEPPED BACK FROM A LITTLE BIT
AS A STATE.
HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO GET
BACK INTO THAT.
I KNOW THERE IS LEGISLATIVE
PROPOSALS TO THAT.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR
INFORMATION ON THIS.
WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE FEELING WELL
SENATOR ANDRE JACQUE.