https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/pandemic-nurse-shortage-kentucky-gov-declares-emergency-81660311

Kentucky’s governor has declared an emergency over the state’s chronic nursing shortage amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic

 Kentucky’s governor declared the state’s chronic nursing shortage to be an emergency Thursday, taking executive actions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic to boost enrollment in nurse-training programs.

Kentucky is projected to need more than 16,000 additional nurses by 2024, to help fill gaps caused by retirements and people leaving the profession, Gov. Andy Beshear said. His new executive order includes “immediate actions that we believe will provide some relief,” the Democratic governor said. “Obviously long term there is a lot to do.”

The nurse staffing emergency in Kentucky reflects a national epidemic created by the pandemic. Health leaders say the problem is twofold: Nurses are quitting or retiring, exhausted or demoralized by the crisis. And many are leaving for lucrative temporary jobs with traveling-nurse agencies.

Such severe shortages threaten “not only the health of patients but the entire health care delivery system,” Beshear said at a news conference.

He added that Kentucky is operating 12% to 20% short of “needed nursing volume.”

“In the midst of a pandemic, and in the midst of a shortage this dire, we’ve got to do things a little bit differently, to make sure that we get the results we need at the time that we need them the most,” the governor said.

His executive order aims to get more students into Kentucky nursing programs.

It requires the state Board of Nursing to approve requests for enrollment increases from schools that show sufficient resources to accommodate more students, he said.

Nursing schools will be expected to report the number of vacant student slots to the state nursing board each month, the governor said. Those vacancies will be posted on the board’s website to let prospective students know where spots are available.

The order aims to allow nursing schools to open new campuses more quickly, provided they have sufficient resources, he said. Nursing schools at full capacity will be required to refer qualified student applicants to other schools with vacancies, he said.

And schools unable to accommodate their full student capacity due to staffing shortages will be expected to notify state officials, with the goal of helping them hire more faculty, he said. Also, an advisory committee will be formed to offer additional proposals to overcome nursing shortages.

The governor also signaled that his upcoming state budget package will include proposals to attract and retain nurses. His plan will include some form of loan forgiveness or scholarship program for nurses who agree to remain in Kentucky for a designated amount of time, Beshear said. The governor will present his budget plan to the Republican-dominated legislature in early 2022.

Also, nurses who worked throughout the pandemic will be included in his proposal to award essential-worker bonuses. Beshear said he wants to use $400 million in federal pandemic aid to award the extra pay to a range of frontline workers employed throughout the pandemic.

Beshear made another pitch for the bonuses in hopes of winning support from GOP lawmakers.

“This isn’t about process, this isn’t about party,” he said. “This is about the people that have kept us alive, kept us safe, kept us healthy, kept us fed, kept us safely in our home with our lights and our heat on during this pandemic. Saying no to this program is saying no to them.”

It’s the second straight day the governor took executive action to confront a nagging state problem.

On Wednesday, Beshear awarded a 10% pay raise to Kentucky’s social service workers. The pay boost is aimed at halting the widespread loss of frontline employees demoralized by low salaries and bulging workloads who are serving vulnerable children and adults.

The pay increase takes effect Dec. 16 for social workers and family support services staff, the governor said. It’s the result of his action to reclassify their jobs to a higher grade.

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-florida-bellingham-7988e099639901572a457b97b85f3648

No information has been made available for weeks about the location or condition of Republican state Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale, since he was reportedly in a Florida hospital being treated for COVID-19.

Ericksen wrote to legislative colleagues in November saying he tested positive for COVID-19 in El Salvador and needed monoclonal antibodies.

He arranged a medevac flight from El Salvador that weekend, former state Rep. Luanne Van Werven said.

Van Werven said the next week that Ericksen was recovering at a Florida hospital. Van Werven told the Bellingham Herald on Friday she had no new information and it would be best to contact Ericksen’s family.

The newspaper has tried multiple times to reach the family.

Ericksen’s legislative staff members told the newspaper that they can’t comment.

Ericksen has been critical of continuing state measures aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, including business closures, social distancing and masking. His vaccination status has been unknown.

While Ericksen has been away, several parts of his 42nd Legislative District in Whatcom County were hit by catastrophic flooding that damaged around 1,900 homes, businesses and other buildings.

His legislative counterparts, Rep. Alicia Rule, D-Blaine, and Rep. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, have helped with cleanup efforts and have promised aid to the flood-stricken communities of Everson, Nooksack and Sumas.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/11/us/florida-university-covid-19-data/index.html

 

University of Florida launches formal investigation after reports of Covid-19 research data being destroyed and delayed

A formal investigation has been launched by the University of Florida after an internal report detailed a culture of fear among faculty members claiming political influence on campus as well as instances of pressure to destroy and delay publication of Covid-19 research data.

Vice President of UF Research David Norton announced the investigation in an email to faculty and staff Friday morning, according to the university. The email indicates the results of the investigation will be made public upon completion, but did not give a timeline.

 

“UF Research became aware of possible violations of the UF Policy on Research Integrity,” Norton wrote in an email, saying the possible violation relates “to the reported destruction of COVID-19 research data at UF.”

 

Asked if the university was aware of actual destruction of data, the school said the investigation would be looking into that.

 

The allegations were detailed in the Faculty Senate report, released Monday.

The committee did not name specific individuals, in order to protect the jobs of faculty members, Dr. Danaya Wright, a professor at the University of Florida and one of six authors listed on the report told CNN.

 

“I don’t know that we need a smoking gun, in particular, to say that this is coming from state government, governmental entities,” Wright said.

 

The report identifies challenges in the partnership with the State of Florida, with which the university worked jointly on Covid-19 research.

 

 

University of Florida reverses decision, will allow professors to testify as paid experts in voting rights case

 

The issues noted in the report include, “external pressure to destroy deidentified data, barriers to accessing and analyzing deidentified data in a timely manner, and barriers to publication of scientific research.” These issues created “challenges” for faculty to contribute scientific findings during a world-wide pandemic, the report summarized.

 

A spokesperson for Florida’s governor denied any involvement.

 

“Governor (Ron) DeSantis does not interfere with the internal matters of UF, which this is. Nobody from our office has told UF professors to refrain from criticizing any state policies,” said spokesperson Christina Pushaw.

 

“Everyone in the academic community is free to share their opinions and critiques of policies. The governor is confident in UF leadership and proud that the university has risen in the national rankings to one of the top 5 public research universities in the country,” Pushaw said.

 

The Faculty Senate report was the result of a three-week investigation looking into academic freedom at the university after three full-time professors were barred from testifying as paid experts in a lawsuit brought against the state that dealt with voting rights.

 

The university later reversed its decision after facing intense public criticism.