MDH Commissioner Malcolm and Sen. Paul Gazelka Recognized as Public Officials of the Year

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Jodi Boyne

LeadingAge Minnesota named Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and Senator Paul Gazelka as its Public Officials of the Year. The Public Official of the Year award recognizes public servants who went above and beyond the normal call for action and made a significant difference to the field of older adult services and those we serve.   

Commissioner Jan Malcolm

Commissioner Malcolm was a key architect in designing a framework for licensure that will usher in the next generation of assisted living in Minnesota. She brought stakeholders together to gain a better understanding of the diverse perspectives from seniors and their families, consumer advocates, providers and regulators.

Malcolm then shepherded a collaborative process over the course of 18 months to find pragmatic, common sense solutions that will provide greater clarity and transparency for consumers and their families, strengthen regulatory oversight and consumer protection, and maintain a model of senior living that supports consumer choice, options and the opportunity to age in place.

“Jan Malcolm worked diligently to ensure that all stakeholders understood the importance of protecting older adults in long-term care settings and never lost sight of our shared goal to ensure respectful, compassionate, and quality care in senior living,” said Nancy Stratman, Chair of the LeadingAge Minnesota Board of Directors and Director of Senior Services and Cuyuna Range Medical Center-Care Center in Crosby. “The balanced compromise that became the Elder Care Protection and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act of 2019 would not have been possible without Commissioner Malcolm.”

Senator Paul Gazelka

Senator Paul Gazelka was recognized for his leadership in protecting funding for nursing homes and supporting new, comprehensive elder care protections. A proposal during the 2019 legislative session would have cut nursing home funding by $68 million, which would have reached $200 million when including the loss of federal matching funding. Senator Paul Gazelka and his Senate Republican Caucus made it a priority to ensure this proposal did not advance and thereby mitigated the devastating impacts it would have had on nursing homes, seniors and caregivers across the state.

“The proposed change in cost-based reimbursement would have created financial instability for nursing homes, hampered their ability to recruit and retain skilled caregivers, and undermined access to the care and services seniors need – particularly in the rural areas of our  state,” said Stratman. “With deep gratitude, we recognize Senator Gazelka for this ongoing support for stable, sustainable funding that invests in professional caregivers and helps ensure safe, quality care to Minnesota's elderly.”

LeadingAge Minnesota also recognized Senator Gazelka for his support of the Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act of 2019, which provides greater clarity and transparency for consumers and their families, strengthens regulatory oversight and consumer protection, and maintains a model of senior living that supports consumer choice, options and the opportunity to age in place.