LeadingAge was one of 19 organizations to submit a Statement for the Record for the February 16 HELP Committee hearing titled “Examining the Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go from Here?”

LeadingAge applauded a hearing on the shortage of physicians and primary medical health care providers, and emphasized how the shortage of aging services professionals at all levels in long-term care is truly a crisis. Additionally, LeadingAge offered policy solutions to the aging services workforce crisis.

Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) prepared remarks agreed, saying, “We don’t have enough home health care workers. We don’t have enough nursing home staff, etc., etc.” Additionally, “how we address these crises is the subject of today’s hearing and of a lot more future discussions. But talk and hearings are not good enough. The American people want this Committee to produce some serious legislation that address these crises, and that is exactly what we must do.”

At the conclusion of the hearing, Chairman Sanders indicated the HELP Committee would also introduce legislation to address the health care workforce crisis. Hearing witnesses primarily addressed the major shortages of physicians and nurses, and the situations that contribute to a workforce shortage in these areas.

It was noted throughout the hearing that nursing schools are rejecting applicants because they don’t have the adequate number of nurse educators and facilities they need to practice. Also, during the Q&A segment, a few Senators made a point to speak to how important it is to also address immigration policies as a potential solution to the health care workforce crisis.

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) expressed concerns about the State Department’s backlog of processing foreign-born nurse’s visas, and how this scenario has contributed to the number of unfilled positions. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) also said the direct care workforce, which is oftentimes left out of the discussion, should be a part of the issues that are being addressed as the Committee works on this issue.

The hearing can be viewed here.