A bipartisan bill from U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) to increase the diversity in the healthcare workforce was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Oct. 28 as part of broader healthcare legislation.
Rep. McMorris Rodgers introduced the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2019, H.R. 3637, with U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) in July to provide colleges and universities funding to bolster the number of minorities in the health profession workforce. Specifically, the legislation aims to improve access to physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology programs for underrepresented communities, the congresswoman’s staff said.
The bill was passed by the House as part of the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) for Health Act of 2019, H.R. 2781, which would reauthorize certain programs for the health professions workforce. U.S. Reps. Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the broader bill that will now be considered by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of occupational therapy, speech pathology, and physical therapy in helping people to live more full and independent lives,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers said when she introduced the bill. “When people from underserved areas go into these fields, they are more likely to serve our rural communities.”
H.R. 3637 is modeled after the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development program that Rep. McMorris Rodgers’ office said has successfully increased the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities that have pursued careers in nursing.
“This bill will help better serve Eastern Washington and the people who rely on these allied health professionals,” the congresswoman said.