House holds hearing on proposals to strengthen health care workforce

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee today held a legislative hearing on federal programs to strengthen the health care workforce and primary care.

In a statement submitted for the hearing, AHA voiced support for three bills under consideration: the Strengthening Community Care Act (H.R. 2559), which would extend funding for the National Health Service Corps and community health centers; the National Nursing Workforce Center Act (H.R. 2411), which would provide grants to state and regional nursing workforce centers to support research on the most effective recruitment and retention programs; and the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act (H.R. 2544), which would increase the budget and make programmatic improvements to the OPTN. 

AHA also urged Congress to enact the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act, which would provide resources to support nursing students, retain and hire diverse faculty, modernize nursing education infrastructure, and create and expand clinical education opportunities; and the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act (H.R. 2584), which would provide federal protections for health care workers and funding for hospital violence prevention programs.

AHA also emphasized the need for lawmakers to reauthorize and fund Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs and Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education Program; increase the number of residency slots eligible for Medicare funding; expedite visas for foreign-trained nurses and physicians to serve in medically underserved areas; allow for innovative staffing models; support health care workforce well-being; and protect access to the 340B drug pricing program, among other actions.