CHARLESTON, W. Va. — A plan written by the state Department of Health and Human Resources will be implemented to increase pay for some employees at the two psychiatric hospitals in the state.
“We have a court order, and it is not an agreed order,” Karen Bowling, DHHR Secretary said. “It is a court order to implement pay increases for certain classifications of employees based on a plan that was written at the discretion of the judge.”
Based on a case which originated in 1981, Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom ordered the DHHR to develop a plan in 2009 to increase the pay for health services workers, nurses and physicians at William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital in Weston and Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington.
The department has recently complied with the order and presented their plan which will possibly see salaries for new employees begin next month and raises for current employees estimated to take effect by the start of next year, at a cost of nearly $3 million the first year.
Representatives for the DHHR have said they are exploring the options in regard to how to implement the pay increases.
Bloom’s rationale in his decision was current wages do not attract and retain qualified, full-time employees and results in the use of contract workers —a practice union representatives in the state claim has cost the state $9.1 million since 2013.
However, Bowling contests the salaries were not the problem with attracting employees, but rather the fact there simply are not as many qualified workers to attract.
“The idea behind an increase is to recruit more people but we have to keep in mind there’s a shortage of health care providers,” she said. “You’re always going to have some contract labor.”
Bowling defended contract workers, saying the practice is utilized throughout the country and contracted workers have provide competent care at the state’s two facilities.
“I believe we provide quality care at our two behavioral health hospitals,” she said. “I admire all of the employees that work there and contribute to that.”
Though they are compliant with the court order, Bowling said they do not agree that it is the right decision.
“You’re only giving an increase for only a select number of employees at a facility,” she said. “Quite frankly, I have a whole DHHR full of employees that would all need or deserve a raise. Again, we’re following the court order and we’re complying. We respect the judicial system and we’re complying with the order, but, as I’m sure you’re aware, we’ve appealed that.”
The DHHR filed an appeal with the state supreme court in August, requesting a stay on the court’s order.
An update on the pay increase plan is scheduled for December.