Pascrell Unveils Health Workforce Investment Act

LITTLE FALLS—U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) today joined with members of his Healthcare Advisory Committee to unveil the Health Workforce Investment Act and emphasize the urgent need for any healthcare reform effort to strengthen America’s network of health professionals. 

With healthcare reform leading all legislative priorities when Congress reconvenes tomorrow, Pascrell, a member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee will work to address the dangerous shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals in New Jersey and throughout the country.

“Healthcare reform can not be achieved without a strong network of healthcare professionals,” stated Pascrell.  “I am troubled by this great nation’s shortage of nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other health care professionals and am dedicated to reforming healthcare by rebuilding our workforce.” 

The Health Workforce Investment Act is designed to establish new federal infrastructure and grant funding opportunities that will centralize America’s health workforce policy and strengthen the corps of professionals necessary to improve the way healthcare is administered and delivered.

According the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, New Jersey faces a shortage of nearly 20,000 nurses -- a shortage that is expected to grow as high as 43,000 with twenty percent of the state’s nurses expected to retire within the next three years.  New Jersey is also expected to face a shortage of 2,800 physicians by the year 2020.  While the supply of nurses and physicians is expected to drop dramatically, demand for medical service will increase as the population of those 65 and older will grow thirty percent by the year 2020.

From a national perspective, the country is looking at a shortage of 55,000 physicians, 1 million nurses and approximately 2.5 million allied health professionals by 2020.   

“With the baby-boomers rapidly approaching retirement age, there is no question that the demand for care is about to spike,” stated Pascrell.  “America must be prepared with a robust workforce of experienced professionals to meet their needs.  In light of our healthcare system’s current struggles, it is alarming to imagine how it will handle an even greater demand for service.”   

In addition to its nursing shortage, New Jersey’s current health workforce data fails to reflect the detail needed to accurately assess the status of the health workforce in terms of diversity, specialty mix and geographic distribution.  

“Too little is known about the status of our nation’s health workforce because there are no federal guidelines to assess it and no planning infrastructure in place to determine future needs,” stated Pascrell.  “For example, New Jersey’s long-term care facilities are plagued by double-digit nurse and nurse aid vacancies.  Meanwhile, schools are turning away over 1,400 qualified nursing applicants a year, not for lack of need, but because we don’t have enough people to teach them.  The inadequacy of our health workforce will continue to go unnoticed if infrastructure is not put in place to advise states on the status of their workforce.  The federal government must also provide guidance and support to build a strong workforce.  That is why I am proud to stand here today with the support of my Healthcare Advisory Committee to announce the Health Workforce Investment Act.” 

The Health Workforce Investment Act has been endorsed by the Trust for America’s Health, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Health Care Association and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. 

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