Bipartisan Bill seeks more visas for doctors, nurses in US

Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Rep Brad Schneider, D-Ill, on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan Bill to address the nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses by recapturing thousands of unused immigrant visas.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act would reallocate 25,000 visas for nurses and 15,000 for physicians that Congress previously authorised but were never used, a media release said, adding that this will help ease staffing shortages that continue to strain hospitals, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

“Immigrant nurses and doctors have always played a critical role in our health care system, and they saw us through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Durbin said.

“After years of caring for patients, it’s unacceptable that thousands of trained health care professionals currently working in the US on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog while our country faces dire health care shortages.”

Cramer called the measure a step toward “merit-based immigration” that would help fill urgent workforce gaps.

“Highly trained immigrant doctors and nurses are a critical part of our workforce, and they provide valuable patient care at clinics and hospitals across North Dakota and throughout the country,” he said.

Schneider said the Bill would help hospitals provide “the best healthcare possible” at a time when shortages remain severe. “The pandemic revealed the serious consequences our communities face when there is a shortage of qualified healthcare workers — a shortage we’re still battling today,” he said.

Health groups including the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Hospital Association, and the Healthcare Leadership Council have endorsed the legislation. AMA president Bobby Mukkamala, M D, said the bill was “a common-sense, bipartisan solution to alleviating the physician shortage.”

If enacted, the Bill would exempt the recaptured visas from per-country limits, allow family members to accompany recipients, and require employers to show that hiring immigrant workers will not displace US employees. Applicants would also have to meet licensing requirements, pay filing fees, and clear background checks.

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates the US could face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. According to the American Hospital Association, more than 610,000 nurses have said they plan to leave the profession by 2027.

“Physicians for American Healthcare Access is proud to endorse the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. This bipartisan legislation directly addresses the systemic green card backlog that has created unnecessary barriers for international medical graduates, many of whom are pillars of their communities and vital to their patients and colleagues,” said Dr Ram Alur, president of Physicians for American Healthcare Access.

“By allowing physicians with longstanding approved immigrant petitions to adjust their status, this Bill will minimise disruptions for dedicated healthcare professionals serving in communities with persistent access challenges and will provide stability to their families,” he said.

According to the Senators, the US has long faced health care workforce shortages, and the COVID-19 pandemic brought these challenges to crisis levels. One in five health care workers left medicine during the pandemic.

(Courtesy: www.5wh.com)