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Jan. 7, 2022Topeka, Kan. |  By: AP

Kansas governor moves to help facilities hit by COVID surge

covid19

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Gov. Laura Kelly is easing or suspending Kansas licensing rules for medical personnel and nursing home workers in hopes of making it easier for them to attack staffing shortages during a surge of new COVID-19 cases.

Kelly issued two executive orders Thursday. One allows hospital staff to perform a broader range of duties. The other makes licensing of nursing home workers more flexible so homes can hire people whose licenses have lapsed and fill less-skilled jobs with workers who've relatively little or no previous training.

The governor also declared an emergency for the next 15 days. Her actions come as ambulances struggle to find Kansas City-area hospitals with space.