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.

Related News Articles

Headline
An article in the May edition of AHA’s Trustee Insights highlights what physicians seek in their relationships with hospitals, and how those relationships are…
Headline
A replay of the Hospital Capacity Management Consortium’s Spring Symposium is now available. The event, for health care capacity management professionals,…
Headline
The AHA May 12 responded to the Office of Management and Budget's April 11 request for information on regulatory relief, making 100 suggestions to the Trump…
Headline
A blog by the AHA and Press Ganey shares insights from leaders of seven health care systems on balancing the demands of delivering personalized, high-quality…
Headline
A Q&A in the latest edition of AHA Trustee Insights highlights how boards value the perspective of nurses. Experts interviewed include Kimberly Cleveland,…
Headline
Claire Zangerle, DNP, R.N., chief executive officer of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership and senior vice president and chief nurse executive of…