Doctors' And Nurses' Licenses Snagged By New Immigration Law In Georgia

[proud2BlibKansan]

Hundreds of health care workers in Georgia are losing their licenses to practice because of a problem created by a new immigration law in the state.

The law requires everyone – no matter where they were born – to prove their citizenship or legal residency as they renew their professional licenses. But with too few staff to process the extra paperwork, licenses for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers are expiring.

Lisa Durden with the Secretary of State’s office says renewing a license used to be a straightforward process and until the new proof of citizenship provision took effect this year, most applications whizzed through. Now, they crawl. Enactment of the law coincided with budget cuts that reduced the office staff by 40 percent.

Kelly Farr, Georgia’s Deputy Secretary of State, says 600 nurses alone have fallen through the cracks.

more . . . http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/November/12/Georgia-immigration.aspx?utm_source=khn&utm_medium=internal&utm_campaign=related-content

[lalalu]

1. Increase the staff and then make them prove their qualifications.

The healthcare worker shortage was a big lie. Hospitals busted unions and laid off qualified Americans nurses who spent years studying. They replaced them with "nurses" from the Philippines and Eastern Europe with less training and willing to work dirt cheap. They also knew these healthcare workers would be scared to make complaints about questionable practices in the health industry.

In the meantime administrators gave themselves huge raises, used funds for lavish decorations, and for personal use. It is a big issue in the Northeast. It is one of the reasons renowned hospitals that stood for decades have closed or become compromised in their care.

I am for cracking down on the healthcare industry across the board. Enough with the states having different requirements. We need federal standards across the board and a crackdown on healthcare mills putting out unqualified workers.

BTW, we have qualified veterans in the medical field who are facing worse nonsensical obstacles.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/medics-being-all-they-can-be-find-civilian-job-barriers.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. National standards are ruining education.

Careful what you wish for.

[lalalu]

3. I thinks it is more a case of the wrong standards.

We do need core basic standards in education. We cannot continue to have a large section of the nation teaching creationism as basic science.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. There is no large section of the nation teaching creationism

But with a republican majority in DC, and national standards, we could have that.

[lalalu]

5. Creationism is taught as an alternative theory and a way

to question evolution. Failing to have minimum federal standards is exactly why American students are behind other countries in math and science.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. Quit believing those Exxon Mobil commercials.

When the data is adjusted to compare our kids from the same demographic groups tested in those other countries, we're in the top 5.

[lalalu]

7. I rely on reality not commercials.

The majority of American students are failing in math and science and the numbers are growing. You can believe whatever you please. I deal with reality and facts. The only people fearing standards are those who can't meet them.

I have people in my family qualified to teach math and science. That includes my son certified to teach in math, science, and technology. After student teaching and seeing the nonsense he walked away. Another qualified and certified teacher needed in critical areas who refuses to put up with the nonsense.

Keep going with the states rights, creationism, and inequality in education. The whole country is losing. But then again you probably think this is great also :
http://www.nwpr.org/post/firestorm-erupts-over-virginias-education-goals

[BlueMan Votes]

8. are you referring to adding staff at Georgia's secretary of state office that processe the renewals?

because they can't do so because of state budget cuts, as was pointed out in the article.

[lalalu]

9. Yes, I am saying they should fix that first.

You can't penalize people when the staff is not available to process their papers. That's a sick joke.

[BlueMan Votes]

10. there is no money in the budget to do so...they had to CUT staff due to budget cuts.

perhaps they could allow the various professionals to continue working, if they've applied for renewal and haven't been processed yet- until such time as the renewal is granted.

[lalalu]

11. Yes, I've heard the "there's no money in the budget" excuse before.

It is usually followed by a few relatives and friends being added to the payroll in other positions. Then there are bonuses and raises that were supposedly voted in before the budget cuts.

In the meantime I believe what you posted is the only reasonable solution.