On Wednesday, the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act was introduced in the Senate. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), authorizes a new $5 million per year grant program to increase educational opportunities in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, and speech language pathology.
“Having a diverse, abundant and well-trained health care workforce is essential to improving quality of care. In order to ensure our health care delivery system is successful, we must make allied health training programs as successful as possible. A characteristic of a successful program is a diverse student body. This is why I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation which will work towards creating a truly diverse field of allied health professionals,” said Sen. Casey.
“As the nation struggles with healthcare provider shortages, perhaps no one feels that more than rural areas such as Alaska. Across our state, our communities could benefit from a more robust workforce, particularly in fields such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language pathology, and audiology,” said Sen. Murkowski.
On Monday the House passed the EMPOWER for Health Act of 2019, a Title VII HRSA health professions workforce reauthorization bill which included the House’s version of the Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act.
The Senate legislation may be accessed here.