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Rep. Krishnamoorthi introduces bill to address healthcare workforce gap
Among the two million college-educated immigrants residing in the US, approximately 14 percent possess degrees in healthcare-related fields.
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It is estimated that this gap results in approximately US$10 billion in unpaid federal, state, and local taxes annually / X - @CongressmanRaja
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has proposed the bicameral Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, a bill aimed at tackling the severe shortages facing the healthcare industry.
Among the two million college-educated immigrants residing in the US, approximately 14 percent possess degrees in healthcare-related fields. However, many of these skilled individuals are not employed in the healthcare sector, exacerbating the country's critical shortage of qualified healthcare professionals and workers, as highlighted by the Migration Policy Institute.
The underutilization of internationally educated professionals, who face barriers to full integration into the American healthcare workforce, is exacerbating the shortage of healthcare professionals and placing greater strain on the healthcare system. Additionally, it is estimated that this gap results in approximately US$10 billion in unpaid federal, state, and local taxes annually.
The Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act proposes the establishment of a grant program, overseen by the Health Resources and Services Administration. This program aims to facilitate partnerships between healthcare organizations, community-based groups, educational institutions, and local governments to assist internationally educated healthcare professionals in joining the workforce.
It seeks to address barriers the professionals encounter by aiding in the retrieval of overseas academic records, supporting the licensing and credentialing process in the US, providing career counseling, mentoring, and peer support, offering prerequisite courses, continuing education, and English-language learning opportunities, as well as addressing shortages of classroom and clinical instructors. Priority will be given to partnerships focusing on rural healthcare or addressing workforce shortages within specific communities.
"Every day, I hear from my constituents about the difficulties of accessing care due to the ongoing health care workforce shortage our country faces," Congressman Krishnamoorthi said.
"I'm proud to introduce the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act to ensure our health care sector is fully staffed through supporting community partnerships, streamlining licensing and credentialing for qualified health care workers trained overseas, and expanding opportunities to address classroom and clinical instructor shortages,” he added.
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