Licensure changes needed to grow

Rural Wisconsin has a population problem. Generations of out-migration, the growing number of retirees leaving the workforce and the reduction in average family size has it led to a demographic ticking time bomb. This demographic trends have made it challenging for all employers to fill positions. These challenges increase exponentially when it comes to filling high-skill and high demand licensed positions.

Wisconsin has a strong system in place for the regulation of licensed professionals ranging from cosmetology to surgeons. These licenses, in Wisconsin and elsewhere, are governed by state regulatory boards with rules designed to protect the health and safety of the public. Complaints and code violations are investigated and violators can face penalties including being stripped of their licenses.

Early in the pandemic, Wisconsin temporarily eased restrictions to allow doctors and other healthcare professionals from other states to see patients here. As Wisconsin, and the rest of the country, emerges from the pandemic those changes should be made permanent.

A major challenge for recruiting doctors, nurses and other licensed professionals from out of state is that they must wait for Wisconsin to approve their license applications before they can practice here. This can take months during which the individual is unable to earn an income in the state and where positions go unfilled.

Wisconsin should continue to hold licensed professionals to high standards and require that those practicing in the state meet the requirements here. A good balance would be for the state to adopt presumptive licensing procedures.

Out of state healthcare and other licensed professionals who are in good standing with their home state’s regulatory bodies, should automatically be issued provisional licenses temporary licenses to work in Wisconsin while their formal license application is being processed. This would put people to work immediately and avoid jobs going unfilled due to bureaucratic backlogs. In situations where Wisconsin standards are higher than other states, applicants should be given a grace period to fulfill those requirements while earning a living.

At the same time, there needs to be continued efforts to establish uniform national standards for licensed healthcare providers as well as creating a national database for violations or remedial action to prevent bad actors from moving from place to place.

Such regulatory changes would open the doors to those wanting to relocate to Wisconsin, particularly rural areas, to improve their quality of life and seek job opportunities here. It would be good for employers widening their job pool of prospective workers. Most importantly it will be good for consumers who will benefit from increased access while maintaining a robust system to ensure health and safety needs are being addressed.

In order to be competitive and stop the state’s workforce demographic time bomb, Wisconsin legislators must take action to modernize and remove barriers to out of state professionals.

Editorial by Brian Wilson, The Star-News