Madison, WI – A recent wave of Green Bay area news coverage is shedding light on a major issue impacting our communities, particularly healthcare professionals such as nurses and mental health counselors. An unprecedented backlog in state government processing of professional license and certification applications is preventing our frontline heroes from being able to work in hospitals and clinics in Northeast Wisconsin and across the state. Our healthcare worker shortage, coupled with new and unnecessary delays in licensure, means the public is experiencing longer waits times for healthcare appointments and lower access to services.

Throughout the state, legislators like me are hearing from hospitals, schools, clinics and businesses about the negative, downstream impacts of the delays occurring due to the mismanagement of Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and its resources. In the most recent state budget, the legislature provided more funding and more FTE employees for Governor Evers to ensure this issue was addressed. Unfortunately, we have not seen any relief or resolution in the communities.

While most of us are willing to accept that a worker shortage is just something we will need to work through and to a certain extent, accept, no one should accept health care service shortages due to bad bureaucracy and poor leadership.

DSPS and Governor Evers need to stop this completely avoidable government-inflicted suffering resulting from their failures. It’s time for this mismanagement to end so Wisconsinites can again receive the services they need from the professionals ready to serve them.

For more information please contact Representative Steffen. He can be reached at (608) 266-5840 or by email at Rep.Steffen@legis.wisconsin.gov.

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