The Biden administration announced recently that $1.5 billion from the coronavirus aid package will be earmarked for scholarships and loan repayment programs to place more health care workers in underserved communities and diversify the health care workforce, according to reports.
The funds will be administered through the National Health Service Corps and the Nurses Corps through the American Rescue Plan. A news release from the White House stated that his funding will support “over 22,700 providers—the largest field strength in history for these programs and a record number of skilled doctors, dentists, nurses, and behavioral health providers committed to working in underserved communities during a moment when we need them the most.”
“Our nation must invest in a health care workforce that looks like America and provide access to equitable health care for all Americans,” Vice President Kamala Harris said, The Associated Press reported.
Students and health care professionals who commit to working for several years in “hard-hit and high-risk communities” will be eligible for scholarships and loan repayments through the programs.
Another goal, according to the news release from the White House, is to diversify the healthcare workforce.
“Only about 7 percent of physicians in the United States identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino despite the fact that Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans account for 31 percent of the nation’s total population,” the release stated. Only 25 percent of physicians in the National Health Service identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino.
”The mobilization of these providers is a critical step towards addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and expanding the representation of these communities in health care professions.”
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