South King News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement after introducing the Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act, the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Assistance Act, and the Professional’s Access to Health (PATH) Workforce Integration Act. These three bills would help immigrants enter health care professions, including primary care physicians, nurses, behavioral health professionals, and technicians, and alleviate the shortage of workers that has taken a toll on our health care system.

“Our health care workforce is severely strained after years of grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. We desperately need more health care workers and there are potentially millions of people here in the U.S. looking for jobs in the health care field but face significant unnecessary barriers. The package of legislation I’m introducing today would make it easier for immigrants to enter the health care workforce by providing funding for training, licensing, certification, and case management services and reduce licensing and certification hurdles for immigrants who come to the U.S. with previous health care experience,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash). “These three bills would pave pathways to high-quality, good-paying jobs, reduce the shortage of health care workers, and help rebuild our health care system in the Ninth District and across the country.”

Statements of Support

“The U.S. faces critical health workforce shortages, while immigrant and refugee health workers continue to be disproportionately underemployed. Immigrant and refugee health workers have in-demand skills and are well-positioned to mitigate these employment gaps. We applaud Rep. Smith’s commitment to promoting inclusion and increasing access to quality care for communities across the U.S.” – Esther Benjamin, CEO and Executive Director, World Education Services (WES)

“We applaud Rep. Adam Smith for his leadership in introducing these important bills, which will promote pathways to health care professions for immigrant and refugee workers. There are at least 263,000 immigrants and refugees with health care backgrounds who are under- or unemployed in the U.S. It is critical that Congress passes the International Medical Graduate Assistance Act and the Immigrants in Allied Health Act to ensure more equitable access to health care professions while at the same time addressing looming health care staffing shortages.” – Mohamed Khalif, President, Washington Academy for International Medical Graduates

“The United States faces a growing shortage of healthcare professionals that will worsen in the coming decade. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants and refugees, including un- or underemployed professionals with international credentials, can help fill workforce gaps in our healthcare system if the government puts the right reforms and support in place. These three bills would help eliminate key barriers that prevent immigrants from entering the healthcare field in the United States. Upwardly Global applauds Rep. Smith for introducing this critical legislation package, and their efforts to help build a more equitable and resilient healthcare system.” – Jina Krause-Vilmar, President and CEO, Upwardly Global

“The workforce shortage across our healthcare system is at crisis levels. The demand for skilled, dedicated professionals in all fields has never been greater, yet employment barriers faced by our immigrant and refugee communities only exacerbate the problem instead of solving it. Opening up pathways for our immigrant neighbors to enter the healthcare fields they care about will make our communities healthier and will make our healthcare system more sustainable. International Community Health Services applauds Rep. Smith for this bold investment in our immigrant communities and our healthcare workforce.” – Kelli Nomura, Chief Executive Officer, International Community Health Services

“The vision of Nashi Immigrants Health Board is to understand, support and empower our Ukrainian and Russian speaking community and provide for a healthy future for “Nashi” (our community) through a lens of health equity and social justice. Nashi Immigrants Health Board is comprised of people from our community, and we know firsthand the barriers faced by immigrants with expertise in healthcare fields, preventing them from practicing their profession in the United States. Especially now, when we are facing a healthcare provider shortage, while seeking to diversify our healthcare workforce. These 3 bills, introduced by Rep. Smith, would allow for our community to have opportunities to receive healthcare from other members of the community who understand their language and culture, while also contributing skilled providers to our current workforce.” – Tamara Cyhan Cunitz, MN, RN, Executive Director, Nashi Immigrants Health Board

 Background 

The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would help immigrants, regardless of whether they have any previous health care experience, get the financial support they need to enter nursing and allied health careers including nursing, mental and behavioral health, and other health care professions.

A fact sheet about the Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act can be found here. The bill text can be found here. 

The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act is endorsed by Afghan Cultural Society, Arkansas United, California Immigrants Resources Center, Chemeketa Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), Global Cleveland, IMPRINT Coalition, International Community Health Services, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, La Casa de Amistad, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Médicos Unidos Venezuela-USA chapter, Nashi Immigrants Health Board, National Immigration Forum, National Skills Coalition, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, OneAmerica, Pars Equality Center, Los Angeles, Portland Refugee Support Group, Presidents’ Alliance  on Higher Education and Immigration, Restore Education, RUSA LGBTQ, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Synergy Texas, Talent Beyond Boundaries, The Refugee Advocacy Lab, The Welcoming Center, Tiyya Foundation, Upwardly Global, US Together Inc., WA Allied Health Center of Excellence, Welcome Back Initiative, Welcoming City, and World Education Services.

The International Medical Graduate (IMG) Assistance Act would help reduce the barriers that international medical graduates face when trying to complete the necessary training and certification to receive a U.S. medical license.

A fact sheet about the IMG Assistance Act can be found here. The bill text can be found here. 

The IMG Assistance Act is endorsed by Afghan Cultural Society, Arkansas United, California Immigrants Resources Center, Chemeketa Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Cicero Institute, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), Global Cleveland, IMPRINT Coalition, International Community Health Services, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, La Casa de Amistad, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Médicos Unidos Venezuela-USA chapter, Nashi Immigrants Health Board, National Immigration Forum, National Skills Coalition, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, One Refugee, OneAmerica, Pars Equality Center, Los Angeles, Portland Refugee Support Group, Restore Education, RUSA LGBTQ, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Synergy Texas, Talent Beyond Boundaries, The Refugee Advocacy Lab, The Welcoming Center, Tiyya Foundation, Upwardly Global, US Together Inc., WA Allied Health Center of Excellence, Welcome Back Initiative, Welcoming City, and World Education Services. 

The Professional’s Access to Health (PATH) Workforce Integration Act would offer training and counseling opportunities to internationally trained health professionals who are U.S. citizens, or immigrants legally residing in the U.S. while educating employers on the abilities and capacities of health professionals who have been educated overseas.

A fact sheet about the PATH Workforce Integration Act can be found here. The bill text can be found here. 

The PATH Workforce Integration Act is endorsed by Afghan Cultural Society, Arkansas United, California Immigrants Resources Center, Chemeketa Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Cicero Institute, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), Global Cleveland, IMPRINT Coalition, International Community Health Services, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, La Casa de Amistad, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Médicos Unidos Venezuela-USA chapter, Nashi Immigrants Health Board, National Immigration Forum, National Skills Coalition, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, One Refugee, OneAmerica, Pars Equality Center, Los Angeles, Portland Refugee Support Group, Presidents’ Alliance  on Higher Education and Immigration, Restore Education, RUSA LGBTQ, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Synergy Texas, Talent Beyond Boundaries, The Refugee Advocacy Lab, The Welcoming Center, Tiyya Foundation, Upwardly Global, US Together Inc., WA Allied Health Center of Excellence, Welcome Back Initiative, Welcoming City, and World Education Services.

Original source can be found here.