Board Information

Board Members

Description

Description The mandate of the Board of Nursing Home Administrators (BNHA) to protect the public’s health and safety by regulating the competency and quality of nursing home administrators under their jurisdiction. The BNHA accomplishes this goal through a variety of activities in collaboration with the Department of Health, Health Professions Quality Assurance.

Board duties include:

• Establishing qualifications for minimal competency to grant or deny licensure of Nursing Home Administrators.
• Regulating the competency and quality of professional health care providers under its jurisdiction by establishing, monitoring, and enforcing qualifications for licensure.
• Establishing and monitoring compliance with continuing education requirements.
• Ensuring consistent standards of practice.
• Developing continuing competency mechanisms.
• Assessing, investigating and making recommendations related to complaints against Nursing Home Administrators which may range from a Notice of Correction to a Revocation of licensure.
• Serving as reviewing members on disciplinary cases and serve on disciplinary hearing panels.
• Serving as members of standing committees, when appointed.
• Developing rules, policies, and procedures that promote the delivery of quality health care to the residents of the state.
• Prepare and administer or approve the preparation and administration of examinations for licensure.

Qualifications

The BNHA consists of four administrators who have been in active practice in this state for at least four years proceeding appointment and who are not employed by the state or federal government.

The Board membership also includes four representatives of the health care professions providing medical or nursing services in nursing homes or persons employed by educational institutions who have special knowledge or expertise in the field of health care administration, health care education or long-term care or both.

One public member must be a resident of a nursing home or a family member of a resident or a person eligible for Medicare.

All members must be citizens of the United States and residents of the state of Washington. No member who is a non-administrator representative shall have any direct or family financial interest in a nursing home.

Board Participation Expectation Guidelines

The following expectation guidelines are intended to serve as a reference for current members and for prospective appointees of the Board:

The Board meets for one day four times per year. Meetings are generally scheduled in February, May, August, and November. There is an annual Department of Health one-day Board, Commission, Committee conference.

Each Board member is assigned to a case disposition panel that meets via phone at least four times per year. In addition,

Board members may be assigned to review individual cases for presentation on an as-needed basis. Board members are frequently appointed to sub-committees based on their individual expertise. These sub-committees will generally meet once per month via phone.

One Board member attends the three-day professional conference sponsored by the National Association of Boards (NAB) and acts as the delegate for the Board.

One Board member is scheduled to conduct a site visit to interview each administrator-in-training (AIT) and their preceptor.

New Board members will be scheduled to attend a half-day orientation.

Total Annual Time Commitment

Performance Guidelines-Newly Appointed Board Members

• Attend an initial orientation presented by Department of Health staff. This is approximately a day in length. Initial orientation outlines:
  • Legal authority of the Board.
  • Roles and responsibilities of members.
  • Ethics.
  • Confidentiality.
  • Legal liability of members and the Department of Health.
  • Organizational structure of the Department of Health.
  • Roles and responsibilities of Department of Health staff.
  • Roles and responsibilities of staff attorneys and Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs).
  • Disciplinary processes.
  • Rule-making.
• Attends committee meetings if necessary.
• Performs duties of current members.

Current Meeting Schedule

Regular Board meetings are scheduled four times per year. Most meetings are held in Tumwater.

Become a Board, Commission or Committee Member.

Nursing Home Administrator Website