Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach, from her official Facebook account.
March 5 press release
Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) joined Representatives Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Angie Craig (MN-02) in reintroducing the Rebuild America's Health Care Schools Act. This legislation will help support and provide needed relief to hospital-based nursing schools and allied health education (NAHE) programs.
"There is no denying the workforce shortage in the healthcare industry and I am always looking for ways to change that. One mechanism is through Federal Nursing and Allied Health (N&AH). These are education programs designed to help providers maintain an adequate workforce by incentivizing the training of nonphysician professionals like anesthetists, occupational therapists, pharmacy residents, X-ray technologists, and nurses," said Rep. Fischbach. "When these programs were created, there were no large health systems. The N&AH educational programs were housed in individual hospitals. This has prevented nursing and allied health students from training in smaller facilities outside their program's host hospitals, like those across western Minnesota. I am proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Rebuilding America's Health Care Schools Act, which would allow N&AH students to receive training at in-health system facilities in rural areas, helping alleviate staffing strains in those facilities."
"Hospital-based nursing schools play a critical role in providing students with high-quality education and increased access to care for patients throughout the country," said Rep. LaHood. "These programs are vital in rural and underserved communities throughout Illinois. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to protect Illinois' hospital-based nursing schools and allied health programs. I am committed to supporting our hardworking nurses and health care professions while working to strengthen our health system."
"Every American deserves reliable, high-quality health care, and that starts with uplifting our medical education and hospital-based training programs," said Rep. Craig. "I'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort to strengthen our health care workforce so our nurses and allied health professionals have access to the hands-on experience they need."
Background:
Nurses and other allied health professionals who receive their education and training at hospital-based programs provide high-quality care to communities in Illinois and across the country. These are key programs in our health care system that offer essential services that contribute to improving patient outcomes.
The Rebuild America's Health Care Schools Act addresses several chronic issues that have hampered the ability to train and grow the next generation of health professionals.
Currently, nurses and other allied health professionals who receive their education and training at hospital-based programs can only provide clinical training at their program's host hospital. This outdated regulation has not kept up with our modern healthcare system and negatively impacts students' ability to provide care to rural and underserved areas in need.
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