SACRAMENTO – Thousands of state medical workers are soon to receive pay raises.

The increases, previously approved by the Legislature, will take effect once they are signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they will be retroactive to April 2007, according to a report from the office of North Coast State Sen. Patricia Wiggins' (D -Santa Rosa).

The raises were approved in part to help stem a staffing exodus which began in October 2006, following a court case (Plata v. Schwarzenegger) that triggered an 18-percent salary increase for medical and clinical staff at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

That decision had unintended consequences, negatively impacting the staffing capabilities of other state departments: the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (DVA).

Between July 2006 and March 2007, DMH lost 58 psychiatric technicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers to various prison facilities, while DDS has lost more than 100 workers to CDCR this year.

“Due to the efforts of many, we have begun to address the issue of inequitable pay for medical and clinical staff at DDS, DMH and DVA in this year’s state budget,” said Wiggins.

She said there is now momentum on the issue, and it's important for people to recognize the linkages between CDCR and the other state departments. While the health care services within CDCR are improving, there is still a great reliance on state departments to provide necessary and specialized mental health services, disability recovery services and acute nursing care, Wiggins reported.

“It is imperative that all patients and inmates receive the best possible access to quality care,” Wiggins said. “Recruitment and retention of medical and clinical staff is a vested interest not only for all of the state departments, but for the people of California as well.”

She added, “I will continue to work towards ensuring long-term pay parity for workers at the Yountville Veteran’s Home, the Sonoma Developmental Center and Napa State Hospital.”

This past March, Wiggins co-authored a letter (signed by five other legislators with state medical facilities in their districts) to leaders of key legislative budget committees detailing the “critical need for additional clinical staff at state hospitals and other institutions.”

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