CLEARFIELD – Attorney Adrianne Peters Sipes was recently appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to serve on Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care Council.
The 35-member council consists of individuals representing various interests in the long-term care system affecting Pennsylvania seniors, including the Secretary of Aging, the Secretary of Health, the Secretary of Human Services, the Insurance Commissioner, the Adjutant General, the Secretary of Transportation, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, two Members of the Senate, and two members of the House of Representatives, with the remaining seats allocated to representatives from various interested organizations or professions. Attorney Peters Sipes will fill the seat allocated to a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Elder Law Section.
Peters Sipes’ appointment comes following a nomination by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Elder Law Section and the subsequent unanimous approval by the Pennsylvania Bar Association Board of Governors.
Wolf made the appointment on Feb. 24. Her term will run through October of 2024, with the option for reappointment at the conclusion of the term.
President Judge Frederic J. Ammerman and Judge Paul E. Cherry administered the Oath of Office to Peters Sipes on March 18 in a ceremony held at the Clearfield County Courthouse.
The Long-term Care Council has the following powers and duties: (1) To consult with various departments and agencies and to make recommendations on regulations, licensure, financing or any other responsibilities of those departments or agencies relating to long-term care; (2) To perform such other duties as the Governor may assign relating to long-term care; (3) To approve reports produced by any committee established under the act before release to the public or the General Assembly; (4) To develop and adopt rules for conducting council meetings; (5) To develop and adopt rules for conducting committee meetings; and (6) To assign topics for research and study to each committee.
The council also establishes committees to research and study regulatory review and access to quality care, community access and public education, long-term care services models and delivery, workforce, housing and behavioral health issues of senior citizens who are at least 60 years of age.
“I am truly honored to receive the nomination from the Elder Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Governor Wolf’s appointment,” Peters Sipes said.
“In my practice, I work with clients every day who are struggling to understand and navigate issues relating to long term care. The Council itself is relatively new, only being established in 2015, and I believe that diving into these issues with individuals representing a wide array of interests will truly help improve the long-term care system in Pennsylvania.
“I am thankful for the opportunity and am looking forward to serving to further assist seniors in Pennsylvania.”
Peters Sipes is the founder of Compass Estate Planning & Elder Law located in Clearfield.
