'Exhausted And Strained', PA Healthcare Workers Get $225M Boost
PENNSYLVANIA — Gov. Tom Wolf and Democratic and Republican legislative members joined together Wednesday to celebrate House Bill 253, which appropriates $225 million to support Pennsylvania’s health care workforce.
“Three weeks ago, my administration convened a working group including all four caucuses to identify immediate investments to support the health care workforce overburdened by staffing shortages after years of battling the pandemic on the front lines,” Wolf said. “Together, Democrats and Republicans came together in a bipartisan effort to address this issue through House Bill 253."
He added, "I am proud to sign this critical legislation into law to support our health care workforce and ensure Pennsylvanians can continue to receive quality care for emergency health issues and life-saving procedures."
House Bill 253 would provide $110 million to hospitals that provide behavioral health services, serve a high amount of Medical Assistance clients, or are in some of our most rural parts of the state so they, too, can retain and recruit the staff they need at the bedside. It would also provide $100 million for needed retention and recruitment funds for direct care staff.
Another $15 million would be used to quadruple the amount of student loan forgiveness that can be provided to nurses in various settings, including the Student Loan Relief for Nurses Program.
"In recent months, Pennsylvania’s health care workforce has been under extreme stress as hospitals and health care facilities reach and exceed capacity while seeing patients with higher levels of acuity," Wolf's office said in a news release.
The news release went on to say that hospitals and health care systems asked the commonwealth for funding specifically for recruitment and retention of key personnel.
“Delivering on a promise to the people of Pennsylvania, the Senate, House, and Governor took a significant step towards managing out of the COVID-19 pandemic today by making a strategic investment in supporting our hospitals and frontline healthcare works,” said Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward. “These dedicated nurses, who are exhausted and strained, have seen us through our darkest days. This funding will help lessen the impact of the pandemic’s effect on our frontline workers by helping our hospitals to retain acute nursing staff and take care of their patients as these facilities are stressed to the max.”
Wolf was joined by Democratic and Republican members of the General Assembly in the Governor’s Reception Room to celebrate the legislation.
“The pandemic placed additional stresses on society, resulting in a rise of mental health issues,” State Representative John Galloway said. “Throughout the commonwealth, behavioral health provider staff have been addressing the increased need for care for nearly two years without a break. They have literally saved lives, but at cost to their own health.”
In addition to the funding to support the health care workforce, House Bill 253 also creates the Opioid Abuse Child Impact Task Force to focus on improving the safety, well-being and permanency of substance-exposed infants and other young children affected by their parents’ substance abuse disorders.
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This article originally appeared on the Across Pennsylvania Patch
