To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to express my support for the change of testing for Assisted Living Administrators from a national exam to a state exam. The Commonwealth of Virginia regulates the assisted living industry and not the federal government. Therefore, the Commonwealth is best suited to determine who is appropriate for licensing.

Also, Governor Kaine supported the use of a state exam and wrote the following to Marilyn Tavenner, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, on May 8, 2007: “…I’d like to make sure that regulations for assisted living administrators strike an appropriate balance between ensuring quality administrators and allowing an adequate pool of such administrators from which to draw. Accordingly, I ask that you confer with the Department of Health Professions on these regulations to revisit three points. First, I’d like you to revisit the need for a national exam in additional to a state exam. …”

There are only two other states which require this national examination. Across the board the Assisted Living Industry does not support this generic form of licensing.

I thank you for your time and consideration.

Steve De Jesus, MBA/HCM, Executive Director, HeartFields at Richmond