Lawmakers, hospital leaders introduce bill aimed at tackling state’s healthcare workforce shortage
On Wednesday, Representative Ken Fleming joined state-wide healthcare professionals to introduce House Bill 200
FRANKFORT, Ky (WTVQ)- Kentucky continues to feel the affects of an overall healthcare worker shortage.
“It affects the day to day operations in the fact that counties are getting underserved. Especially areas that don’t have a high population or may have a higher degree of poverty,” says paramedic Paul Phillips.
Phillips is the director of Operations for Global Medical Response. He says the shortage is affecting EMT services in some of the state’s poorest areas.
On Wednesday, Representative Ken Fleming joined state-wide healthcare professionals to introduce House Bill 200, which they say aims to help the state’s ongoing healthcare worker shortage.
“This will absolutely move the needle through such a critical shortage. There’s definitely pockets where its worse than others. But its definitely a statewide issue. In fact, its a nation-wide issue,” says Phillips.
House Bill 200 creates public-private partnerships and establishes the healthcare workforce investment fund. That fund will in turn establish scholarships for healthcare education and offer incentives to universities and training centers to invest in building up faculty and providing equipment and other assets.
“The need is so severe, that without us having this sort of innovative partnership, this sort of innovative bill, I don’t think we could even come close to getting where we need to go,” says Dr. Aaron Thompson, the president of the Kentucky Council on Post Secondary Education.
The bill not only addresses the nursing shortage, but it also includes mental health professionals, EMT’s, nursing aids, and dental hygienists.
“The goal of this legislation is broad, which means it intends to help many entry level to workforce areas that are currently feeling the strain of shortages. With regards to nursing, the legislation will help decrease financial barriers that are currently preventing qualified individuals from entering the nursing workforce pipeline,” says Jennifer Wiseman of the Kentucky Nurses Association.
Since the General Assembly isn’t opening up the budget this year, lawmakers and healthcare leaders will be looking for money to go into the fund. They also say it’ll take some time to write regulations to support what the house bill aims to do.
