A state audit has confirmed that chronic staffing shortages at the state veterans home in Yountville is contributing to limited nursing care for veterans.
The Veterans Home of California at Yountville, a campus that houses more than 1,000 veterans and spouses north of Napa, suffers from a nursing shortage driven by low salaries and the high cost of living in the community. Veterans complained to lawmakers last year when they began to notice nurse shortages and more staff members working overtime.
The audit recommended capping overtime and developing a comprehensive recruitment and retention plan. The report found that many health care professionals were transferring to other state hospitals because of salary increases driven by federal court decisions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
"We must - absolutely and unequivocally - bring the pay of Yountville's nurses to parity with nurses working in our correction facilities. No one can argue that inmates deserve better, more consistent or more extensive care than our veterans," said Sen. Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa.
The audit also found weak oversight of medical equipment maintenance contracts and recommended requiring proof of maintenance work.
@Nyx.CommentBody@