The second piece of proposed legislation will strengthen the department's capacity to protect vulnerable adults and allow for better coordination among separate agencies and programs that provide services for this population. The proposal also will fund more training for providers of in-home and residential services. This proposal also will fund more case managers for the Area Agencies on Aging, who oversee the care and safety of in-home clients. The Governor's budget supports the creation of a brokerage for individual provider services that provides a mechanism to oversee the work performance of in-home workers, and helps clients receiving these services in finding, hiring, and dealing with their providers. Maintaining a Stable Health Care Infrastructure in Rural Communities - Hospitals and health care access are important elements to all communities, but they can play a particularly critical role in rural areas.
Hospitals often serve as major economic anchors, as well as health care providers.
The Department of Health will partner with the Washington State Hospital Association to help rural hospitals develop and submit plans to qualify for the new federal Critical Access Hospital program, which will allow rural hospitals to remain financially viable. The administration will continue to work with rural hospitals to ensure their long-term financial stability. In March 1998, eight elderly residents died in a deadly boarding home fire. The Governor's Fire Protection Task Force identified fire sprinklers as the most important factor in limiting loss of life and property damage in similar fires. As a first step, the Governor proposes to partially offset the cost of installing fire sprinkler systems in DSHS-licensed boarding homes that lack such devices.