American Public Health Association Applauds Sens. Hagel, Durbin for Introducing Legislation to Strengthen Public Health Work Force
Posted on: Thursday, 3 March 2005, 18:00 CST
WASHINGTON, March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Public Health Association (APHA) today commended U.S. Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) for introducing the Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2005. The measure would better protect the health of the nation by strengthening and improving the public health work force.
If enacted into law, the act would provide scholarships to qualified students going into the public health field and a loan repayment program for current workers in exchange for a commitment to additional years of service in public health. The bill was cosponsored by Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Patty Murray (D- Wash.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.). Last year, Sens. Hagel and Durbin introduced a similar bill, which APHA supported.
bWe are delighted with the leadership these senators have shown today,b said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, executive director of the American Public Health Association. bThis legislation has the ability to help ensure that an available, well-trained work force adequately protects our nation from public health threats, such as terrorist attacks and infectious diseases. Shortages of public health workers threaten a system already overburdened by new demands and responsibilities. There are large numbers of workers soon eligible for retirement and insufficient numbers of students in the pipeline to replace them. This bill, if enacted into law, would go a long way to averting work force shortages.b
A study by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Council of State Governments found that the average age of state public health workers is about 47 years, seven years older than the average age of the nationbs work force. Current vacancy rates are as high as 20 percent in some state public health agencies and turnover rates have reached 14 percent in some parts of the country.
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The American Public Health Association, the oldest organization of public health professionals, represents more than 50,000 members from over 50 public health occupations. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.
http://www.usnewswire.com
Source: U.S. Newswire
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