Rep. Sarbanes Secures Federal Funding to Support National Health Care Workforce Commission

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Rep. John P. Sarbanes, D-Maryland, issued the following news release:

Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) secured $3 million in federal funding for the National Health Care Workforce Commission as part of the Fiscal Year 2021 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) funding bill, which passed favorably out of the House Appropriations Committee today and will soon receive a full vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Commission, which was established by a provision that Congressman Sarbanes authored in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), evaluates the needs of America's health care workforce and recommends solutions to bolster workforce training and improve the delivery of care.

The new federal funding secured by Congressman Sarbanes in this year's LHHS funding bill marks the first time that the Commission will be fully funded and able to carry out its mission.

"The National Health Care Workforce Commission will help guide our efforts to strengthen America's health care system and meet our health care needs," said Congressman Sarbanes, a prominent member of the House Health Subcommittee and architect of the Commission. ""The importance of the Commission in this moment cannot be overstated. Now that it is fully funded, it can begin assessing the capabilities our nation's health care workforce and find ways to enhance education and training, increase diversity and improve the delivery of care for all Americans."

See here for bill text https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/LHHS%207.5_xml.pdf.

See here for more information about the National Health Care Workforce Commission https://www.acponline.org/system/files/documents/advocacy/where_we_stand/assets/ii4-national-health-care-workforce.pdf.