Bill Before Congress Could Be "Devastating Blow" to Healthcare Workforce

Mary E. Klotman, dean of the School of Medicine, and Michael Relf, interim dean of School of Nursing, Duke University (NC), write:  A bill under consideration in Congress would strip access to federally backed student loans for 3,400 Duke students, dealing a devastating blow to our ability to meet the growing workforce needs of North Carolina – particularly in healthcare. This is a state already dealing with workforce shortages that will only grow over time. By 2033, some estimates project a shortage of 21,000 registered nurses in our state, with additional shortages in areas such as physician assistants, physical therapists, nurse practitioners as well as family doctors.  Congress should not be preventing them from pursuing careers that will benefit all of us.