The regulations and standards under which your institutions are
licensed by the State Department of Health are among the highest in
the country. The development of these regulations and standards was
accomplished with the collaboration of your representatives. The drafts
of the revised regulations and standards, which became effective Janu-
ary 1 of this year, were reviewed at joint conferences attended by mem-
bers of the Health Department staff and by your representatives and
attorneys before they were recommended by the Advisory Board on Hos-
pital Licensing and adopted by the State Board of Health and Mental
Hygiene. One of the members of this association served on the Advisory
Board on Hospital Licensing. As it was reported to me, the spirit of these
joint conferences was to keep the standards as high as possible, consistent
with the practical considerations, with the aim of assuring patients and
their relatives that the nursing homes will provide a safe and sanitary
environment and nursing care and medical supervision adequate to
meet the needs of the patients.

The attitude of your State government, including all departments
having a relationship with the nursing homes, is one of cooperation and
helpfulness. Many of you have been aided by the staff of our Depart-
ment of Health in the original establishment of your nursing homes.

This assistance has continued, and will continue, as you operate and
expand facilities. We are aware that from time to time some of you
have experienced problems in connection with compliance with the
regulations and standards. We know, too, that on most occasions, after
you have overcome the difficulties by improvement of personnel and staff
and the initiation of safety measures, you have taken justifiable pride
in the improved status of your homes.

In many other ways, your State is trying to help you with your prob-
lems. For example, since I became Governor the rate of payments to
you for public assistance cases has been raised from $110, $115 and
$120 a month—depending on the location—to $135 a month. I am
informed that there are now some 2, 000 patients in the public assistance
category in the nursing homes of our State. Moreover, some $300, 000
has been appropriated in your State budget to finance certain special
services required for the adequate care and treatment of these patients.
The shortage of licensed practical nurses, a problem which seriously
affects your operations, was brought to my attention recently by the
Maryland Joint Council to Improve the Health Care of the Aged. I
discussed the matter with Health Department officials, and afterward
instructed the State Board of Examiners to call together representatives
of all groups concerned and try to find a way to increase the number of
licensed practical nurses.

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