The DOJ Consent Agreement Ended Today
January 15, 2025
The end is also a beginning – as Judge Gibney emphasized in Court today the Commonwealth has come a very long way in meeting the goals set out in the original Consent Order and in the subsequent modifications. The Permanent Injunction, signed today, makes the goals now established “permanent” and enforceable. Both the Judge and the United States Attorneys emphasized the importance of the “Rate Study” which is currently paused (likely until the end of February).
The current assumption seems to be that if you pay the staff enough for nursing services, therapeutic consult and other “specialty services”, there will be an adequate supply. A big part of today’s hearing was that leadership of both the House and the Senate were in attendance by invitation of the Court. They were present only for the beginning, as the Judge acknowledged they were “busy with the State’s business.” Their presence made a statement to the Court that “they get it!”
VNPP was represented by three member’s of the Board and your Executive Director; we think it was important that we were there both in support of the agencies, but also to show the outcome was important to the provider community!