Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It has been a long week. I have had four bills I authored receive individual hearings. I also share with you as I write with a sense of frustration yet filled with hope because we are Minnesota and we must rise above the challenges that confront us.
Our budget is healthier than expected which provides us real opportunity to fix the issues many of us see in the Governor’s Budget. More than that, I see places where we can fix the Governor’s cuts by putting back money he shifted from People with Disabilities and put it back where it belongs.
Additionally, we have an opportunity to fix our broken employment system for People with Disabilities. Over the last year and a half our office has investigated our scattered system in regards to Connect 700, a program meant to be a supportive and honest opportunity for People with Disabilities to engage in the state workforce. We have interviewed over a dozen experts, attracted the attention of our federal Department of Labor and the talents of Bobby Silverstein (author in congress of bills such as the ADA) to assist us, and interviewed countless individuals who are victims of this programs failed processes.
Due to a lack of strong system policy, training and at times blatant malfeasance on some individuals parts we have seen first hand the best and worst aspects of our system. When it succeeds it is truly inspiring. When it fails it leaves those with disabilities behind. We must and can do better.
I have seen first hand, actions from those in charge, as they internally deny policy to protect those that would benefit from a system of inclusion. I have witnessed the denial of even the simplest, no-cost accommodations requested so those that need it can work, that mean everything to those in need, denied for little to no reason. I have seen what happens when someone speaks up about their rights and they are removed from their office or have their work made so miserable there is nothing left to them but to quit. We must treat people like people not as a subject to personalization or wrong interpretation of a human resource practice or policy.
It leaves suffering that individuals carry with them to this day. Some are inappropriately fired and lose their livelihood. Some keep their heads down and endure to simply put food on their table and keep a roof over their head. Others leave seeing no hope or opportunity for change. We are Minnesota and must do better.
Every interview with a victim of our failures as a state breaks my heart and reforges it with steel to -change- our government from what it is into to what it could be. To this effort we have partnered with Bobby Silverstein and SEED (State Exchange on Employment and Disability), the Minnesota Council on Disability, various individuals fighting for peoples dignities inside our agencies, fellow legislators across both parties and chambers and most importantly the victims themselves. These are people who refuse to yield no matter the opposition and it is an honor to work at their sides.
We have signed a bill in the senate that should be introduced Monday which has been created by the experiences of all mentioned. It strengthens the process with protections for the employee. It allows ADA coordinators to do their job without interference from their HR departments especially those who refuse to understand what a reasonable accommodation is and in fact empowers them to implement accessibility. This legislation will ensure the proper training and expertise is across our agencies as a whole so there is never an excuse born of ignorance of an individual’s rights.
This is our opportunity to define how we treat people who simply want to help make this state better for their fellow citizens. This is our opportunity to say “We can do better”. This is our opportunity to never turn away from our failures and abuse, instead acknowledge and correct it with the force of law to ensure dignity prevails for ALL Minnesotans.
There are parts of life we have little to no control over and there is no blame for that. What we can do is decide how we act, to respect an individuals inherent dignity and fight for a Minnesota that is equitable and accessible by all.
This work has been a long process by many people and it will take everyone to ensure it reaches completion. I will have a bill number next week and you can click here to see the language. Share it, spread the word so that we can carry this to be signed by the Governor, who assured Senator Abler and I he was committed to change these outcomes and fix the system.
The fight never ends but with enough effort we can create an opportunity where together we stride forward and transform hope into reality.
Keep safe everyone, keep in touch, and thank you for everything.
John
A note regarding helping a neighbor
I spent last week talking with Dr. Eva Norman, along with some of her staff, who is the owner of Live your Life PT and lives in Champlin. We talked about the issues important to physical therapy and her patients and the ongoing support and challenges faced due to Covid-19. I always learn so much from Dr. Norman during our visits. Below is a brief summary of what transpired thanks to my immediate actions during Covid-19 and working with patients.
I want to share with you how getting a note like this encourages me to continue to help our friends, neighbors and constituents.
Early on during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, my business was on the verge of dissolving. Senior centers and community centers closed. All of congregate living including skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, group homes and senior independent living facilities were restricted to everyone including essential staff immediately following the stay home order that went into effect on 3/27/20. We had to make difficult decisions as a business since even we as essential staff were not allowed to access our patients in any type of congregate living which comprised 65% of our business.
Because of these restrictions we sadly had a patient pass away due to not receiving our services. Our patient with quadriplegia was no longer moving as frequently as he had when we were seeing him daily. He no longer had medical oversight, proper hydration and socialization. He developed pneumonia relatively quickly and was hospitalized where he passed away. I contacted Senator John Hoffman to notify him of this horrific tragedy which was a direct result of the stay home order and restrictions implemented to stop of the spread of the virus. He invited me to speak at a virtual forum to share my patient story. I was heard from various leaders in public office.
As a result, the county commissioner’s office reached out and I was given the opportunity to speak with the MN Department of Health. They recognized the issue and implemented a change to the restrictions almost immediately which allowed critical sectors as defined by Governor’s Walz executive order 20-20 to access individuals living in most of the congregate living facilities with the exception of skilled nursing facilities as long as we followed the CDC public health recommendations for COVID-19.
Thanks to Senator Hoffman’s immediate action he helped us survive as a business. For that we are forever grateful. Many thanks from Live Your Life and our patients!
Dr. Eva Norman, PT, DPT, CEEAA
Owner & Physical Therapist
Live Your LifeTM
Bringing Physical Therapy & Wellness to You!
Thank You Dr. Norman FOR ALL YOU DO.
Senate Health and Human Services Committee hears telehealth legislation
The Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee (HHS) heard a bill this week which would replace current state statute governing telemedicine. There has been a renewed emphasis on telehealth over the past year given risks due to COVID-19 and increased reliance on virtual meetings and communication. Temporary changes have been made to some telehealth requirements through both legislation and executive orders. This bill would codify many of those changes and make further updates to telehealth statute.
Under the bill, telehealth includes secure video conferencing, store-and-forward transfers, synchronous interactions between a patient and provider, and audio-only communication. The new statute would require all health plans to cover telehealth benefits as they would any other benefits and ensures that separate provider networks are not created for telehealth services. The bill would also ensure that prior authorization or utilization review requirements cannot be used for telehealth where they are not required for in-person contact.
This legislation also expands options for the provision of mental health care using telehealth. Updates include allowing telehealth to be used for assessments or treatments for mental health and chemical dependency where medically appropriate. The legislation would also allow for prescription orders for certain drugs via telehealth, though that provision would be subject to federal approval.
The bill passed the Health and Human Services Committee by a unanimous voice vote and was referred to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee. The bill is expected to return to the Health and Human Services Committee again to continue discussion on components in the bill under the jurisdiction of the HHS Committee. (SF 1160)
Thank You!
It is my greatest honor to represent you the citizens of Brooklyn Park, Champlin and Coon Rapids here at our great state capitol. In addition to representing you, I absolutely enjoy it when you come visit. You must schedule with our office to arrange an appointment before any arrival, and we also do Zoom meetings! So reach out and tell me what matters to you or schedule an appointment so I can continue working on your behalf. You can reach me by email at sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn or by phone at 651-296-4154. I am at 95 University Avenue Suite 2235 in the Minnesota Senate Building.
Sincerely,
Senator John Hoffman
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to call my office at 651-296-4154 or by e-mail at jhoffman@senate.mn