FRANKFORT, KY (OCTOBER 21, 2022) – Senator Brandon Storm, R-London, attended an event hosted by the Kentucky Hospital Association at the Eastern Kentucky University Manchester campus on Tuesday, October 18. The event focused on health care in rural communities and how to best support the hospitals, out-patient clinics and, most importantly, the workforce.

“The health care systems are currently struggling in rural communities for various reasons: there’s a lack of nursing education programs and skilled workforce; dwindling EMS transports, paramedics and dispatchers; and a consistent need for funding – just to name a few,” Storm said. “The General Assembly made strides during the 2022 session to remedy these issues and we will endeavor to address them during the 2023 session as well. This is an ongoing effort.”

During the 2022 session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 10, a landmark piece of legislation addressing the nursing shortage and its root causes. SB 10 restructured the Kentucky Board of Nursing by enacting term limits, geographical requirements and elevated the voices of practicing nurses. The bill removed arbitrary enrollment caps for nursing schools, and streamlined the process for out-of-state and foreign trained nurses to practice in the commonwealth. As a result of SB 10, Kentucky was able to join a collaborative of 14 states that was formed in order to study, compare and address many of these issues.

Another topic Storm discussed was the apparent shortage of EMS transfers, paramedics and dispatchers across the state, but particularly in rural communities. Some rural hospitals are often not equipped for complex injuries or emergency procedures. Once a patient arrives and is stabilized, they are often transported to either Louisville or Lexington. Patient transfers from nursing homes to hospitals are common in rural areas. In both cases, patients are often reportedly waiting hours for transportation. House Bill 777 was passed in 2022 by both chambers and established an EMS task force aimed to address these issues.

Lastly, Storm touched on some budgetary items that were passed previously to help the medical community including higher inpatient Medicaid reimbursement through the Medicaid Hospital Rate Improvement Program. The General Assembly is currently weighing future budget allocation measures for the 2023 session through the respective interim committees.

“Your General Assembly is hard at work trying to problem-solve the issues at hand and find solutions to not only keep our hospitals open, but to make sure they are functioning and thriving at the highest level possible, ” said Storm. “Our rural communities need and deserve strong, stable and efficient health care. I am honored to be able to work alongside these medical institutions as well as the people they serve in order to achieve that goal.”

About Senator Brandon J Storm:
Senator Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21^st District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. Storm is the vice-chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and serves as chair of the Senate Enrollment Committee. He also serves as a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor; State and Local Government; Banking and Insurance; and is a liaison member of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources. Additionally, Storm is a member of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee, and the Child Welfare Oversight and Advisory Committee, and was most recently appointed to the Emergency Medical Services Task Force during the 2022 Interim.