Strengthening Workforce

HLC Position:

Given that workforce shortages affect virtually every healthcare profession, this is a multifaceted challenge that defies simple solutions. HLC believes the most immediate relief can be found through the immigration system. Significant numbers of qualified and well-trained foreign-born physicians and nurses desire to practice in the United States, but are blocked from doing so by green card backlogs and a political climate that has made any immigration-related legislation problematic. HLC advocates for legislation to repurpose unused immigrant visas for skilled doctors and nurses to expedite their entry into the country. As this work progresses, so do HLC’s efforts to increase funding for graduate medical education (GME), promote licensure flexibility, make greater use of pharmacists as healthcare providers, and enable medical professionals to practice to the top of their license. HLC encourages legislation that focuses on health professional burnout and that increases access to mental health services for healthcare workers. It is also essential that lawmakers focus on the growing problem of violence toward healthcare professionals and advance measures to strengthen workplace safety.

HLC Activity:

• HLC has advocated for additional measures supporting workforce expansion, flexibility, and well-being in 2023 through legislative and regulatory comments, as well as interactions with members of Congress and their staffs. This includes:
  • Successfully advocating the introduction of R. 6205/S. 3211, the “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act” (HWRA) in the House and Senate. HLC regional directors continue to meet with House and Senate staff to enlist cosponsors. HLC issued a press release endorsing HWRA as a solution to improve the health system shortage. HLC staff worked with HWRA sponsors to release and circulate a “dear colleague” letter to gather more congressional support. In addition, HLC collaborated with the Ohio Business Roundtable and the Ohio State Chamber of Commerce on a group sign-on letter asking Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) to consider supporting efforts to recapture unused visas from previous years to reprioritize them for healthcare professions.
  • Hosting Carole Johnson, administrator of HRSA at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), at HLC’s September Executive Meeting on Access and Coverage. Also hosted was Leonard Marquez, senior director of government relations and legislative advocacy at the Association of American Medical Colleges, at HLC’s Policy Committee meeting in October.
  • Organizing a national roundtable addressing workforce shortages and began building consensus with key leaders in health industry, not-for-profit, academic, business, and government sectors on solutions to help alleviate and improve the current supply and well-being of healthcare workers in the United States.
  • Utilizing HLC’s field directors to advocate in every in-district meeting for measures to expand the healthcare workforce and eliminate shortages. HLC’s field directors successfully encouraged bill sponsors to reintroduce R. 1770/S. 2477, the “Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act.”
  • Writing the House and Senate sponsors in support of introducing R. 2389/S. 1302, the “Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act.” Joined Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix press conference highlighting the legislation.
  • Organizing a webinar focused on optimizing the healthcare workforce with participants from AMN Healthcare, Texas Health Resources, and Surescripts.
  • Submitting comments to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in advance of its hearing, “Examining Healthcare Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?,” and its request for information (RFI) on the drivers of healthcare workforce shortages.
  • Responding to the House Ways and Means (W&M) Committee’s RFI on solutions to reshape the nation’s health system and bring new access to care in rural and underserved areas.
  • Writing the House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) in advance of its hearing, “Examining Existing Federal Programs to Build a Stronger Healthcare Workforce and Improve Primary Care.”
  • Advocating efforts to reduce workplace burnout in response to Representatives Richard Hudson’s (R-NC) and Anna Eshoo’s (D-CA) RFI in preparation for the upcoming Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) reauthorization.
  • Writing the Senate Finance Committee (SFC) in advance of its hearing, “Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health in Access to Care.”
  • Submitting comments to the Senate Special Committee on Aging in advance of its hearing, “Uplifting Families, Workers, and Older Adults: Supporting Communities of Care.”
  • Urging Senate and House leaders to enact legislation that provides permanent protections for “Dreamers,” including the 34,000 health workers who are Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals recipients.
  • Educating congressional staffs on the need for the Health Resources and Services Administration to collect more inclusive data on the healthcare workforce to identify how to better utilize the current supply of healthcare professionals within the United States.

• HLC urged Congress and the administration to prioritize funding that supports the healthcare workforce. This includes:
  • Writing the Senate HELP Committee in support of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the reintroduction of R. 8817/S. 4844, the “National Nursing Workforce Center Act.”
  • Participating in a congressional briefing with AARP and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation on the importance of supporting family caregivers. Also, HLC staff presented on the role of family caregivers at the National Press Foundation’s long-term care fellows program and participated in a Coalition to Transform Advanced Care roundtable on innovative solutions for employers to support family caregivers.
  • Joining a group letter supporting a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposal to pay for caregiver training services in the proposed Calendar Year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
  • Endorsing S. 3109, the “Alleviating Barriers for Caregiving (ABC) Act.” HLC President Mary R. Grealy acknowledged in a quote the legislation as a step in the right direction to reduce red tape and meaningfully impact the lives of caregivers and their families. The quote was included in Senator Edward Markey’s (D-MA) press release.