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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Hospital Association announced it expects a shortage of about 100,000 critical health care workers by 2028, increasing geographic disparities and barriers to care across the nation. Rural communities are especially hard-hit by shortages in health care practitioners. According to the National Rural Health Association, rural areas have approximately 30 physicians or specialists per 100,000 people, compared to 263 in urban areas. The Rural Health Information Hub reports rural areas have nearly 64 Registered Nurses per 10,000 people, compared to 97 in urban areas.

To address crucial health care workforce shortages, U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act to make a limited number of green cards available to qualified immigrant doctors and nurses. The bill allows the "recapture" of green cards already authorized by Congress, but unused in previous years, allotting up to 25,000 immigrant visas for nurses and up to 15,000 immigrant visas for physicians. It does not authorize any new visas.

"Highly trained immigrant doctors and nurses are a critical part of our workforce, and they provide valuable patient care at clinics and hospitals across North Dakota and throughout the country," said Cramer. "In many cases, these clinicians provide the only specialty care that's available in their community. Our bill recognizes this urgent need can be addressed in part at least through a realignment towards merit-based immigration. It'll allow highly skilled professionals to assist in solving the workforce and patient care demands of our communities without adding any numbers to the immigrant roster, just a realignment."

"Immigrant nurses and doctors have always played a critical role in our health care system, and they saw us through the COVID-19 pandemic," said Durbin. "After years of caring for patients, it's unacceptable that thousands of trained health care professionals currently working in the U.S. on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog while our country faces dire health care shortages. The bipartisan Health Care Workforce Resilience Act strengthens the health care workforce and helps to address the extensive immigration backlog."

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act mandates employers attest immigrants from overseas who receive these visas will not displace an American worker. It also requires eligible immigrant medical professionals meet licensing requirements, pay filing fees, and clear rigorous national security and criminal history background checks before they can receive green cards.

The legislation is supported by several stakeholders, including the North Dakota Long Term Care Association (NDLTCA), North Dakota Hospital Association (NDHA), and North Dakota Medical Association (NDMA).

"We are grateful for Senator Cramer's leadership in championing the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act," said NDLTCA President Nikki Wegner. "International nurses not only provide compassionate care to our seniors, but also bring stability to a health care workforce under great strain. By allowing more nurses to build their careers here in North Dakota, this legislation helps ensure that our long term care facilities remain strong, our economy continues to grow, and our communities benefit from the skills, dedication, and heart these professionals contribute each day."

"On behalf of the North Dakota Hospital Association and its 46 member hospitals, we appreciate Senator Cramer's leadership in introducing the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act," said NDHA President Tim Blasl."This legislation would address the health care workforce shortages facing North Dakota hospitals and provide the needed flexibility for hiring both highly trained international nurses and physicians. Both professionals play such critical roles when providing patient care."

"Increasing the number of visas available can open employment pathways for more physicians to better serve North Dakota in high-need areas, such as in rural health care settings and filling underserved specialty areas across North Dakota," said NDMA President Stephanie Dahl. "Having the ability to access unused visas to advance health care is a smart move and should be supported."

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act is endorsed by the National Rural Health Association, American Health Care Association, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Neurology, Healthcare Leadership Council, Physicians for American Healthcare Access, National Kidney Foundation, Adventist Health Policy Association, Society of Hospital Medicine, National Immigration Forum, American College of Physicians, Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, FWD.us, AdventHealth, and Adventist HealthCare.

Members who cosponsor the legislation include U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Todd Young (R-IN).

Click here for bill text.