Senate Hearing on SB 403 scheduled for Wednesday morning
CONCORD, NH – This afternoon, the New Hampshire Health Care Workforce Coalition, a statewide collection of more than 40 provider organizations and advocacy groups, called on lawmakers to help address the ongoing workforce crisis and increase access to care for all Granite Staters by supporting Senate Bill 403.
Originally formed in 2018, the Coalition has worked for years to increase state investments in the health care workforce to meet the health needs of Granite State residents. This year, the group is urging the Legislature to pass SB 403 to help strengthen pipeline development to help train and prepare enough health care workers to meet the needs of New Hampshire patients.
SB 403 is scheduled for a public hearing Wednesday morning, 9:30 a.m. in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
“The critical need to address the workforce shortage still exists,” Coalition members, including Bi-State Primary Care Association, the N.H. Community Behavioral Health Association, the New Hampshire Hospital Association, and many others, wrote in a letter sent to Senate committee members. “There have been great strides made since 2019 to move New Hampshire forward … But it is clear that development of the health care workforce pipeline still needs to be addressed.”
Among other provisions, SB 403 proposes to strengthen the workforce pipeline by:
- Developing community-based training programs, including middle school, high school and advanced level trainings, in rural and underserved parts of the state
- Creating a voluntary certification program for Community Health Workers
- Establishing a rural residency program for family medicine in New Hampshire’s North Country
- Expanding student loan repayment to bachelor’s level medical staff, including case managers working in primary care and mental health
The letter, which is available here, was sent by the following organizations:
Alzheimer’s Association, MA/NH Chapter
Ascentria Care Alliance
Bi-State Primary Care Association
Center for Life Management
Community Partners
Community Support Network, Inc.
Disability Rights Center
Granite State Home Health & Hospice Association
Greater Nashua Mental Health Center
HealthForce NH
Lakes Region Mental Health Center
LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire
Meals on Wheels New Hampshire
Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester
Monadnock Family Services
NAMI-NH
Nashua Division of Public Health and Community Services
National Association of Social Workers, NH Chapter
New Futures
NH Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselors Association
NH Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
NH Association of Residential Care Homes
NH Community Behavioral Health Association
New Hampshire Dental Hygienists Association
NH Health Care Association
New Hampshire Hospital Association
NH Hunger Solutions
NH Medical Society
New Hampshire Nurse Practitioner Association
New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition
New Hampshire Public Health Association
Northern Human Services
St. Joseph School of Nursing
Seacoast Mental Health Center
Southern NH AHEC
Riverbend Community Mental Health
Rivier University, Division of Nursing and Health Professions
Waypoint
West Central Behavioral Health
UNH System
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The New Hampshire Health Care Workforce Coalition is a broad stakeholder group that works together to develop policy solutions to key challenges that impact access to health care in New Hampshire. Learn more at investinnhhealth.org.