Congress Must Address America’s Unprecedented Healthcare Workforce Shortage
America is in an unprecedented healthcare workforce crisis that is only worsening by the day. We must fill the gaps in our nation’s healthcare workforce—particularly among America’s nursing workforce, who are the backbone of our healthcare system—to ensure access to vital care in communities nationwide.
According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could be facing a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034. The staffing challenges and shortage in the nursing profession paint an even bleaker picture, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed by 2030. Yet, nearly a third of registered nurses report that they may leave their positions in the next year.
If policymakers fail to address America’s nursing shortage before it spirals completely out of control, patients nationwide will continue to feel the impact—particularly in rural and underserved communities where access to high-quality, affordable healthcare is already scarce. To fill in these workforce gaps, employers have often turned to international nurses and doctors. These highly trained professionals are able to come to the U.S. and alleviate some of the pressure on current staff while also expanding patient access to care. Though international nurses and doctors have always played a vital role in America’s healthcare workforce, current policy challenges have made it more difficult to recruit and place international healthcare talent with U.S. providers.
Right now, thousands of qualified international nurses and physicians are stuck in a broken, dysfunctional green card process, trying to obtain permanent visas that would allow them to practice in the United States and help address our critical healthcare workforce shortage. Fortunately, a group of bipartisan lawmakers has introduced the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act (HWRA) to try and address these backlogs.
If passed, the HWRA would recapture 25,000 unused visas for nurses and another 15,000 unused visas for physicians that Congress has previously authorized—along with recaptured visas for immediate family members. The legislation would also protect American jobs by requiring U.S. employers to attest that international nurses and doctors receiving these visas will not displace any American workers. The safeguards in place requiring employers to pay international healthcare professionals the same prevailing wage ensure they cannot undercut any American workers in terms of pay.
The HWRA would also require that, in order to even qualify for one of these visas, an eligible international medical professional would have to meet strict licensing requirements, pay all applicable filing fees, and pass rigorous national security and criminal background checks before they can receive their recaptured visas. These requirements ensure America is recruiting only the most qualified, talented medical professionals to bolster our healthcare system and maintain the highest standard of care for patients.
Perhaps most importantly, passage of the HWRA would help alleviate the stress and strain felt across our nation’s healthcare workforce. Nationwide, nurses and healthcare professionals are tired, burnt out, and ready to leave the profession altogether. Eighty-one percent of healthcare professionals say they’ve been burnt out before. Additionally, a recent report by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing shows that roughly 100,000 registered nurses left their jobs in the past two years due to a combination of stress, burnout, and retirement. The report also found that more than 610,000 additional nurses plan to leave their jobs by 2027 for similar reasons. The HWRA is a commonsense solution to address that. I’ve heard first-hand from nurses and physicians on the frontlines of care what a positive impact international healthcare professionals have on them personally and in their workplace.
As part of the Healthcare Workforce Coalition, we strive to help solve America’s ongoing healthcare workforce and nursing staffing crisis by connecting qualified international medical professionals with the American healthcare providers who need their talent. Passage of the HWRA would help us more effectively and efficiently fulfill our mission and achieve our vision of a globally connected America that is fully equipped to meet healthcare staffing challenges in all communities for generations to come.
Congress must pass the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act as quickly as possible to help address America’s ongoing healthcare workforce shortage and ensure we are able to recruit and retain some of the top medical talent from around the world.
Kara Murphy is the President of PRS Global, a member of the Healthcare Workforce Coalition.
