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学生和行政部门作证支持州卫生人力法案
LD 1797, “An Act to Expand Maine’s 健康 Care Workforce by Expanding 教育al Opportunities and Providing Tax Credits,” seeks to address the state's growing shortage of health care professionals
Several representatives from the University of New England recently testified in support of a bill in the Maine Legislature that would expand or make permanent existing programs proven to attract and retain health care workers. 该法案, LD 1797, “An Act to Expand Maine’s 健康 Care Workforce by Expanding 教育al Opportunities and Providing Tax Credits,” 旨在解决缅因州医疗保健专业人员日益短缺的问题.
A 最近的报告 from the Maine Department of 劳动 found that 30% of the state’s health care workers are over the age of 55, 他们的退休可能会导致21人的损失,在未来十年内，将会有1万名卫生保健专业人员. 另外, 该州超过一半的医生年龄在55岁以上, 乡村地区由最老的医生服务.
的se disparities predate the COVID-19 pandemic and disproportionately affect access to care in more rural parts of the state.
To address these challenges, LD 1797 provides ongoing funding to three existing programs – 缅因州医疗服务提供者贷款试点偿还计划, 缅因州医生未来奖学金项目, 护理教育贷款偿还计划.
的 Maine 健康 Care Provider Loan Pilot Repayment program repays outstanding student loans of selected participants who commit to living and working in Maine for at least three years. 的 缅因州医生未来奖学金项目 is available to eligible students enrolled in a Maine-based medical school with a connection to the state. 的 Nursing 教育 Loan Repayment Program is a critical loan repayment program for registered nurses; LD 1797 also expands this program to include part-time nurse educators.
以现有项目的成功为基础, LD 1797建立了新的程序, including the Maine 健康 Care 教育 Training and Medical Residency Fund — which would support clinical training opportunities for third- and fourth-year medical students in rural parts of the state — and the New Nurse Retention Credit, which would provide an income tax credit of up to $500 annually for newly registered nurses who work three years in a state-licensed health care facility. 支持临床培训机会, 该提案还将为临床实习提供激励.
Director of 业务 发展 Ed Cervone and 一个COM Class of 2025 students Bethany Miles and Austin 沃恩
“在一个, 作为一所拥有公共使命的私立大学，我们感到非常自豪, 特别关注解决关键的劳动力需求, 特别是在医疗保健方面,赫伯特总统在他的证词中说. “Our experiences at UNE have taught us that clinical training in rural areas is particularly important in addressing Maine’s provider shortage because, 毕业后, 许多学生在他们训练的地方或附近定居和练习. LD 1797中提供的一揽子计划和激励措施, 包括临床培训的经费, will go a long way toward helping Maine address its health care workforce shortages. UNE is eager to train even more health care professionals to meet the needs of Maine residents, LD 1797将允许我们这样做.”
赫伯特总统提出 类似的证词也出现在美国国会面前.S. 参议院卫生委员会, 教育, 劳动, 和养老金(HELP)初级保健和退休保障小组委员会 在华盛顿特区.C.今年2月，应奥巴马参议员的要求. 佛蒙特州的伯尼·桑德斯.
沃恩, 在州立法机构的创新听证会上作证, 发展, 以及经济发展和商业委员会, remarked that LD 1797 is an investment in Maine’s health care system and will save money over time.
“An investment now will not only directly benefit health outcomes of patients and access to care, 但从长远来看，它有巨大的潜力为国家节省资金,沃恩说. “Granting medical students and residents increased access to [Maine’s] rural communities will heighten their understanding of the social determinants of health that disproportionately impact rural areas. It will increase their connections to communities that are at an increased need of longitudinal care providers. And it will allow those who already have a desire to serve those communities additional opportunities to follow that passion to the benefit of Mainers across the state. I am motivated at the prospect of the expanded opportunities to better understand patients based right here in Maine.”
LD 1797是由参议院主席特洛伊·杰克逊(D-Allagash)发起的. “We must take bold action to support health care workers already providing critical care and do more to attract and retain individuals to work in this field in Maine,杰克逊说. “LD 1797 will help build a health care workforce that meets the needs of Maine families and communities by expanding programs that are already doing this important work.”