RyeCity REVIEW THE
December 7, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 50 | www.ryecityreview.com
County passes Fair Chance to Work legislation
Put it to paint Students and teachers from Rye Neck created winter scene masterpieces during a Paint Night event on Nov. 30. For more, see page 6. Photo courtesy Rye Neck school district
U.S. News: Osborn top performing nursing home The Osborn Pavilion skilled nursing and short-stay rehabilitation center is proud to be named one of New York’s top performing nursing homes by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News evaluated more than 15,000 nursing homes across the country, including 619 licensed facilities in New York State. Of those 619 in the state, The Osborn Pavilion was one of 19 that received the top rating in both categories, ‘Overall’ and ‘Short-Stay Rehabilitation.’ In fact, The Osborn Pavilion was among only four facilities in Westchester County to receive this highest-performing rating in both categories.
The 2018-19 report is the first time U.S. News has rated facilities on Short-Stay Rehabilitation, assessing a facility based on whether the amount of rehabilitation provided was determined by reimbursement or by patient-centered needs. The Osborn Pavilion is an 84bed skilled nursing facility, with all-private rooms, that provides skilled nursing care, as well as both short–term inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. The Pavilion is an integral part of The Osborn’s continuum of care. The U.S. News & World Report Nursing Home Finder draws on public data provided by the Centers for Medicare and Med-
icaid Services, CMS, as the basis for its Nursing Home Compare rating system. The Osborn has the highest overall quality rating of five stars from CMS, based on quantitative assessments of state-conducted health inspections. These rigorous inspections assess general cleanliness, food preparation processes, infection control, medication management and residents’ overall quality of life. The U.S. News survey places additional emphasis on staffing, specifically the amount of time that nursing staff spends with each patient. The Osborn received the five-star rating from CMS for both total nurse staffing
and registered nurse staffing. “We understand that nurse staffing is among the most important predictors of nursing home quality,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “With our new methodology and Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating, we have taken several steps to ensure that nursing homes that consistently provide high quality care to residents are highlighted.” Sources like the Nursing Home Finder and the CMS website can be helpful to families in the process of evaluating longterm skilled nursing or short-term OSBORN continued on page 9
On Dec. 3, the Westchester County Board of Legislators approved a measure to ensure that people with criminal records in their past have an opportunity to explain their circumstances when they’re looking for work. The “Fair Chance to Work” legislation, which passed by a vote of 11-5, eliminates questions about a job applicant’s criminal record on initial job applications, but it does allow for such questions to be asked in interviews. It also allows for background checks after initial application. The measure will give qualified people a foot in the door when they’re applying for work, even if they may have been convicted for a minor offense or are working to rehabilitate themselves after a criminal conviction. That’s because the first thing an employer will see will be the applicant’s qualifications, not a marked check box. “The point of this legislation is to give job seekers a chance to establish a dialogue with prospective employers, not to have any dialogue cut off before it can begin,” said board Vice Chairwoman Alfreda Williams, one of the co-sponsors of the legislation. “I am proud that this will be the law in Westchester County. This will make a positive impact on people’s lives, help people make a new start, encourage employment, give employers a wider pool of motivated, qualified workers and increase the tax rolls simultaneously.” Laws like this, popularly known as “ban the box” provisions, have been passed across the country—including in Kansas, Wisconsin, Connecticut and New York City—and companies like Pepsico, Microsoft, Home Depot, Target, Starbucks,
Walmart and CVS have eliminated these questions from job applications. “I’m happy that Westchester County today has joined various states, cities and other municipalities in passing legislation of this sort. This legislation doesn’t limit background checks by employers, but it will allow job applicants an opportunity to tell their stories when they’re looking for work,” said county Legislator Catherine Borgia, the bill’s co-sponsor. “Eliminating questions of criminal background on initial application is a policy that has been adopted by companies across the political spectrum.” County Legislator Damon Maher, chairman of the board’s Labor and Housing Committee, said, “This is a good step toward ensuring that those who are charting a new course in their lives have a path do to so. Better opportunities for employment will reduce recidivism as we hopefully put the era of mass incarceration behind us.” Employment is one of the most important factors in reducing recidivism rates, but when initial job applications include things like check-boxes disclosing past criminal records, workers often find themselves pre-emptively cut off from opportunities to rebuild their lives. School districts, employers of police officers, and other employers who are barred by law from hiring applicants with specific criminal convictions, would not be subject to the new measure, which goes to County Executive George Latimer for his signature. You can view the text of the legislation and the legislative history at bit.ly/2Rr0Pl8. (Submitted)