Legislature OKs salary cap exemption for nurses

DPH concerned over timing of the measureA proposed legislation that would exempt Tinian and Rota nurses from the government salary cap now awaits the governor’s action.

The House of Representatives has passed Senate Bill 15-26, which would allow health care providers to receive annual salaries in excess of the current $50,000 limit.

Currently, salary cap exemptions are provided only to medical doctors, dentists, U.S. or Commonwealth-licensed engineers and architects who practice their professions, and certain professionals employed by the Legislature.

Authored by Tinian Sen. Henry San Nicolas, S.B. 15-26 would cover licensed health care providers such as nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants employed in the “underserved jurisdictions” of Tinian and Rota.

“The Legislature finds that in order to attract and retain qualified health professionals, in particular, the position of nurse practitioners, critical to the provision of essential health care, it is necessary to exempt such positions from the government salary ceiling in order to make the CNMI competitive in health care personnel market,” states a portion of the bill.

Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez has endorsed the bill, but he has expressed concern about its timing.

“Unfortunately, while I fully support the intent of the bill in providing better compensation to these highly qualified medical professionals, the current financial situation of our government does not allow the department the means to accomplish this goal,” he said.

“I do believe that when the economy does turn around, these healthcare providers should have their salary adjusted so that we are able to hire and keep them,” he added.

Besides nurses, the health professionals Villagomez wanted to be exempted from the salary ceiling include registered pharmacists; clinical lab technologists in microbiology, bacteriology, chemistry, and blood bank; radiographic technologists in CT, ultrasound, and nuclear med; masters prepared physical therapists; respiratory therapists; masters prepared or registered dietician/certified nutritionists; and masters prepared/level clinical psychologists and social workers.