Committee hears that LNA shortages, agency staffing and non‑compete clauses are driving nursing home instability
April 02, 2026 | Human Services, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Helen Leven, executive director of the Vermont Healthcare Association, told the House Human Services Committee that workforce shortages — especially at the licensed nursing assistant (LNA) and LPN levels — are the principal drivers of nursing home financial stress and a major cause of requests for extraordinary financial relief.
Leven summarized state and national data showing increasing demand (the population most likely to need nursing‑home care — ages 75–80+ — has grown) while the pool of likely entrants has declined. She said the employer mix shifted toward using agency and contract staff in Vermont to fill substantive staffing gaps rather than occasional shifts; about 30% of LNA hours were coming from agency or contract staff in the metric Leven cited, while RN agency hours were closer to national averages.
Committee members asked about training and licensure bottlenecks. Leven said approximately two‑thirds of Vermont nursing homes run in‑house LNA training programs (some hybrid) and pointed to new federal opportunities (the CMS nursing home staffing campaign) and the Rural Health Transformation Fund’s LNA development track as resources. She said some logistical testing bottlenecks had been resolved and that there are alternate pathways for RN/LPN students to test into LNA roles.
On non‑compete clauses, Leven explained that contractual clauses in agency staffing arrangements often bar facilities from hiring agency staff as permanent employees; the committee discussed possible legislative fixes and Leven said language to prohibit some non‑competes is being added to Senate bill 583. Members also discussed buyout options for agency contracts; Leven described those as possible but often costly.
Leven reviewed retention strategies funded through pilot grants, such as leadership development, mentoring and pay differentials for senior LNA roles that help retain experienced staff and support onboarding. She offered to share evaluation reports from the pilot cohorts with the committee.
The session closed with committee members thanking the witness; no formal committee action was recorded during the meeting.
Leven summarized state and national data showing increasing demand (the population most likely to need nursing‑home care — ages 75–80+ — has grown) while the pool of likely entrants has declined. She said the employer mix shifted toward using agency and contract staff in Vermont to fill substantive staffing gaps rather than occasional shifts; about 30% of LNA hours were coming from agency or contract staff in the metric Leven cited, while RN agency hours were closer to national averages.
Committee members asked about training and licensure bottlenecks. Leven said approximately two‑thirds of Vermont nursing homes run in‑house LNA training programs (some hybrid) and pointed to new federal opportunities (the CMS nursing home staffing campaign) and the Rural Health Transformation Fund’s LNA development track as resources. She said some logistical testing bottlenecks had been resolved and that there are alternate pathways for RN/LPN students to test into LNA roles.
On non‑compete clauses, Leven explained that contractual clauses in agency staffing arrangements often bar facilities from hiring agency staff as permanent employees; the committee discussed possible legislative fixes and Leven said language to prohibit some non‑competes is being added to Senate bill 583. Members also discussed buyout options for agency contracts; Leven described those as possible but often costly.
Leven reviewed retention strategies funded through pilot grants, such as leadership development, mentoring and pay differentials for senior LNA roles that help retain experienced staff and support onboarding. She offered to share evaluation reports from the pilot cohorts with the committee.
The session closed with committee members thanking the witness; no formal committee action was recorded during the meeting.
Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!
Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.
✓
Get instant access to full meeting videos
✓
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
✓
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
✓
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
30-day money-back guarantee
