LEAN Process for Long-Term Care in Maine Starts Today

Four bills in this past legislative session are being included in this LEAN process. A LEAN process is a means by which businesses figure out what is duplicated, what is not necessary and then eliminate those things. Maine's Department of Health and Human Services has decided to do the same thing with the way long-term care is delivered in Maine. The four bills included in this process are: LD 400, the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations for home based care; LD 1078, the bill that is the driver behind this LEAN process, it is streamlining the way services are delivered, shifting from nursing home care to home and community based care; LD 1059, the bill to gain health insurance for direct care workers, based on a plan that the State of Montana has implemented this past January; LD 1364, the bill to raise wages for direct care workers. This initial meeting is meet all the stakeholders involved and to introduce them to the LEAN process,. The real work will not begin at this meeting. I am very excited to be at the table, representing the Direct Care Alliance, the Kennebec Valley Organization and Local 771. These three organizations are all involved in working towards improving wages and gaining benefits for workers. As this process moves along, I'll keep posting updates.