Having served the nation as Deputy Surgeon General and then Acting Surgeon General, Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu understands the most pressing issues in American health care. It’s worth noting, then, that Dr. Moritsugu identifies the country’s nursing shortage as a “crisis” that “threatens the foundation of our healthcare system.” Dr. Moritsugu argues that “[n]ow, more than…
In times of need, it’s critical that policymakers implement legislation that could offer immediate reprieve. Now, as the healthcare sector faces a shortage of up to 20% of the entire nursing workforce, policymakers should pass the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, or HWRA. This bipartisan legislation recaptures previously issued but unused immigrant visas and redistributes them…
A new, deeply reported article in the Washington Post explores how our country’s antiquated immigration system prevents thousands of qualified nurses – who are desperately needed in hospitals and desperately want to work in America – from coming stateside. The Post notes that our “broken immigration system” has been “untouched by Congress for 33 years…
Foreign-educated nurses, many of whom hail from the Philippines, provide care for patients in an American healthcare system that sorely lacks a sufficient workforce. The U.S. has had a drastic nursing shortage for years, and unfortunately it is poised to worsen. That is where foreign-educated nurses have offered critical support. And while they help keep…
As America faces a healthcare staffing crisis, the time is now for legislators to implement thoughtful legislation to rehabilitate the sector. Simply, the U.S. does not have enough nurses. Widespread burnout, waning resources, and stressful conditions have rendered a nationwide shortage of nurses. With an aging population and no robust pipeline of future healthcare professionals…
America’s healthcare sector remains crippled, even in the aftermath of COVID-19. A recent op-ed from The Hill explained that Americans will face a gap between 200,000 and 450,000 nurses by 2025. To fully rehabilitate the sector, the U.S. must double the nurses entering the workforce annually—all while current practitioners are leaving the field at an…
Foreign-educated nurses are poised to “help fill the gaps in care that will soon become chasms,” writes 60 Plus president Saul Anuzis in a new opinion piece. Anuzis notes that according to estimates, “by 2025, the U.S. will experience a shortage of up to 450,000 nurses — up to 20% of the entire workforce.” While…
A recent study by economist Alyssa Nuñez of the University of Asia and the Pacific found that remittances from overseas foreign workers (OFWs) are a driving force of the Filipino economy. Remittances are salaries earned abroad, sent back to families, and spent in the Philippines. These payments power the nation’s consumption-driven economy. In fact, in…
Last week, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced new legislation to target factors contributing to the nationwide nursing shortage. The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act addresses the pay gap between clinical and faculty nursing staff by providing a federal wage differential. The current pay disparity discourages nurse leaders from…
A new RealClearHealth opinion piece by Chris Carmona highlights the dangers that frivolous litigation poses to the country’s health care system and supply of crucial labor. Carmona writes that a nurse from the Philippines has sued her employer, CommuniCare, as well as Worldwide HealthStaff, the firm that recruited her. The nurse alleges that by holding…
