From Healthcare Workforce Shortages to Addressing Diversity: The American Hospital Association’s Urgent Call for Action on Maternal Mortality and Workforce Diversity

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has submitted a statement to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in a hearing on May 2. The statement highlighted the crisis with short-term staffing shortages and long-term issue of an unfulfilled talent pipeline in health care. This has resulted in projected shortages of physicians and allied health and behavioral health care providers, which will be particularly felt in underserved communities.

The AHA emphasized the importance of having a diverse health care workforce that can understand the cultures, issues, and needs of local patient populations. This understanding can lead to better decision-making on how to serve communities, ultimately improving patient experience, safety, and quality of care. However, people of color are currently underrepresented across the health professions.

To address this crisis, the AHA expressed its support for federal programs and legislation focused on increasing workforce diversity in health care and reducing attrition. The organization urged the Senate to pass the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act (S. 2415), bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize federal support for state-based maternal mortality review committees. These committees review pregnancy-related deaths to identify causes and make recommendations to prevent maternal mortality.

During the hearing, testimonies were given by various individuals including Sen. Laphonza Butler, Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D., Yolanda Lawson, M.D., Samuel Cook, M