Board of Nursing reports staffing, technology and fiscal fixes; proposes fee changes and Salesforce licensing system

The Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Board of Nursing told the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the afternoon of the committee's briefing that they have made "substantial progress" on longstanding problems in licensing, investigations and customer service but that several key changes remain in progress.

For the record, the department's secretary, Laura Herrera Scott, said the department and the board's partnership "is really a path forward" for how the state manages health occupations boards. Chief of Staff Erin McMullen and Board of Nursing Executive Director Rhonda Scott outlined staffing hires, a proposed fee schedule, and plans to procure a new licensing platform built on the Salesforce platform.

Why it matters: Licensing delays and slow complaint investigations at the Board of Nursing previously disrupted the healthcare workforce in Maryland, the department and board told the committee. The board's finances were also strained; absent a time-limited general fund appropriation the board would have ended FY24 with a projected deficit near $6,000,000, the presentation said.

Major updates and current status

- Leadership and staffing: The board appointed Rhonda Scott as executive director in September 2023. The department and board report subsequent hiring in IT and operations, including a new director of operations and a new director of information technology to manage existing systems and the licensing replacement project. Erin McMullen said the volunteer board voted to extend the secretary's authority over the…