Academy Provides Recommendations to Congress on Remedying Health-Care Workforce Shortages

The American Academy of Audiology responded to a request for information issued by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee seeking input on strategies to remedy current health-care workforce shortages. Academy comments urge congressional leaders to approve federal appropriations to fund the recently enacted Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act (AHWD).

This funding would allow the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide scholarships and stipends to accredited higher education programs to recruit qualified individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to the fields of audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and respiratory therapy.  

Academy comments also highlight the issue of student debt and lack of education about allied health fields.

Read the full list of recommendations.