March 21, 2023 – Vizient recently offered feedback in response to the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee’s Request for Information (RFI) on the drivers of healthcare workforce shortages and recommended solutions. Through the RFI, Vizient shared insights on the ongoing shortage of critical healthcare workers and offered suggestions to strengthen the nation’s healthcare workforce.
Vizient provided recommendations on healthcare workforce education, training and retention to help facilities maintain and support their staff. For example, Vizient urged Congress to pass legislation that would build on the recent investments in Graduate Medical Education to increase the number of physicians, support the training of new nurses and the recruitment of nurse faculty and provide resources to help address shortages of other allied health professional staff. Additionally, Vizient highlighted the importance of Congress addressing workplace violence to improve staff morale and safety.
Vizient also shared feedback with the Department of Labor (DoL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in response to an RFI on strategies to improve workforce challenges for critical sectors, including healthcare. Vizient emphasized an array of challenges healthcare providers continue to face, including ongoing staffing shortages, and suggested various solutions. Among other recommendations, Vizient encouraged ETA to consider additional Federal support to reduce workforce burdens and efforts that address culture, such as the Vizient Safe and Reliable Healthcare solution.
“To ensure patient access to care, address health disparities and prepare for the next public health crisis, we must invest in healthcare provider education and training and bolster our workforce,” said Shoshana Krilow, senior vice president of public policy and government relations for Vizient. “Vizient appreciates both Congress and the administration’s attention on these significant challenges that continue to weigh heavily on an already strained workforce.”