U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) visited Stony Brook University on Long Island to highlight the need for more workforce development programs in the medical field. She said the pandemic has been hard on hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
In a letter to her congressional colleagues, she wants $67 million in federal funding for healthcare workforce development programs.
“They desperately need reinforcements. Staff are physically and emotionally burnt out and hospitals across the entire state have been working with skeleton crews. More than 5 million New Yorkers live in primary care health professional shortage areas,” said Gillibrand. “If we don’t act, the problem will continue to grow.”
Gillibrand said the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a shortage in healthcare workers. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates a nationwide shortfall in doctors due to stress from the pandemic, and New York alone is projected to lose more than 39,000 registered nurses by 2030, according to state health officials.
The money would be allocated to Area Health Education Centers, regional hubs that help with student recruitment, job creation for recent graduates and increase diversity in the medical field. There are 250 education centers nationwide, nine of which are in New York. Gillibrand said more funding would provide the resources necessary to cope with the current pandemic and ongoing staff shortages.
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