| The American Hospital Association endorses
legislation to address allied health workforce shortage. The
AHA today expressed its support for legislation introduced by
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, earlier this month to address the
critical shortage of allied health professionals such as occupational
and physical therapists, laboratory technologists and imaging
technicians.
The Allied Health Reinvestment Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff
Bingaman, D-NM, and Joe Lieberman, D-CT, would provide grants
to support providers' recruitment and retention efforts, loan
and scholarship programs to increase education opportunities
for the allied health profession, and incentives to promote
racial and ethnic diversity among allied health professionals.
"Helping alleviate the critical shortage of allied health
care professionals is of vital importance to health care providers
and the patients they serve," wrote AHA Executive Vice
President Rick Pollack in a June 30 letter to Cantwell. "We
hope Congress will recognize the significance of investing in
this critical area of need." Pollack noted that the AHA
has reported vacancy rates ranging from 12%-15% in the allied
health professions, and that the health care workforce shortage
contributes to emergency department diversions and increased
patient wait times.
The letter will be available soon at http://www.aha.org
under "What's New."
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