Three Bills to Bolster Healthcare Workforce Clear Assembly Higher Education Committee
Across the country and in New Jersey, the healthcare industry has been grappling with a shrinking healthcare workforce for many years. The recent pandemic has put even greater pressure and stress on healthcare professionals as they continue to meet the needs of patients.
Three bills advanced by the Assembly Higher Education Committee seek to address the State’s shrinking healthcare workforce with measures to eliminate financial barriers that stand in the way of students earning their degrees and establish incentives to keep young professionals in New Jersey. The bills are part of a larger package introduced by Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald to strengthen New Jersey’s healthcare workforce and address the staggering staffing shortages in the industry.
“Legislation advanced today will help ready the next generation of healthcare professionals to deliver care to New Jersey’s over 9 million residents,” said Assembly Majority Leader Greenwald (D-Camden, Burlington). “Expanded loan redemption programs for primary care physicians and nurses, in addition to robust behavioral health care education for graduate medical students, will help fill the gaps in the State’s healthcare workforce by incentivizing young professionals to start their careers in New Jersey.”
The following bills were advanced by the Assembly Higher Education Committee:
| A-4613
Greenwald/Pintor Marin/ Jasey/Conaway |
Renames, extends eligibility, and makes various other changes to Primary Care Practitioner Loan Redemption Program; appropriates $10 million.
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| A-4614
Greenwald/Jasey/ Carter/Lampitt
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Modifies Nursing Faculty Loan Redemption Program. |
| A-4615
Greenwald/ Reynolds-Jackson/Park |
Requires State to foster development and implementation of graduate medical education programs in behavioral health care. |