Press Releases
Kuster, Bergman Bill Improving Hiring of Medical Staff at the VA Passed by House of Representatives**You can watch Kuster speak on the floor in support of her bill here**
Washington, DC,
July 28, 2017
This morning the House of Representatives passed the Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employee Education Act (GOOD Act), authored by Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) and Congressman Jack Bergman (R-MI), which would address the provider shortage at the VA. The GOOD Act would establish a pilot program that awards educational assistance to veterans with medical military training who will be placed as physician assistants in Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) that are designated of highest need. A 2017 GAO report presented before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee stated that physician assistants experienced the highest rates of turnover of all medical occupations with shortages. “This commonsense legislation is critical to bolstering staffing at veterans’ medical centers at a time when the Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a shortage of quality physicians and healthcare providers,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “Increasing physician assistants at VAMC’s will help VA improve the quality and timeliness of service by promoting the training and hiring of well-qualified veterans to work in VAMCs. I appreciate the bipartisan support this bill has received and thank my colleague General Bergman for working with me to pass this bill in the House. I urge the Senate to take up the GOOD Act as soon as possible.” “Our Veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and they deserve access to timely and high-quality healthcare from skilled professionals. This morning’s passage of the GOOD Act will address the medical personnel attrition at the Department of the Veterans Affairs. For years, the VA has seen many of its medical personnel leave to pursue other opportunities, resulting in fewer healthcare providers, and ultimately less access to care, for our Veterans,” said Congressman Bergman. “This bipartisan legislation addresses this issue by creating a tool for the VA to better recruit and retain qualified medical talent while also establishing additional educational benefits for Veterans who want to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant.” ### |