Coalition Advocates for Children’s Health and Health Care Worker Well-Being through Legislative Reauthorization

The Healthcare Workforce Coalition has shown support for two pieces of legislation during a recent markup session. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions passed the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program (S. 3765) reauthorization for an additional five years. This program ensures that child-appropriate equipment is available in ambulances and emergency departments and supports training programs to prevent injuries to children and educate emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other emergency medical care providers.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) also submitted a statement expressing support for the passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (S. 3679). This act would reauthorize grants for health care providers to establish programs offering behavioral health services for front-line workers, as well as a national education and awareness campaign providing evidence-based solutions to reduce health care worker burnout.

As part of their advocacy efforts, the AHA also sent a letter to Senate HELP Committee leadership in support of both bills. The organization believes that these measures will have a positive impact on the healthcare workforce and ultimately improve patient care outcomes.