Baldwin, Capito Champion Bipartisan Reform To Improve Palliative and Hospice Care

Statement

Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), a bipartisan reform to grow, improve and sustain the palliative care and hospice workforce to keep pace with patient need and to help improve the well-being of Americans with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

"I was raised by my maternal grandparents and later served as my grandmother's primary caregiver as she grew older, so this issue is personal to me, and I want to make a difference for families experiencing serious health concerns," said Senator Baldwin. "I'm proud to work across party lines and reintroduce the bipartisan Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act with my colleague Senator Capito. We must do more to grow our health care workforce to safeguard and improve the quality of care for the growing number of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses."

"Having served as a caregiver for my parents living with Alzheimer's disease, I understand how important palliative and hospice care is and appreciate how much support and comfort it provides to patients and their families," Senator Capito said. "In order to preserve access to this care, we have to strengthen training and education options for individuals working in these fields, and that's what this bill would do. I am proud to join my colleague Senator Baldwin in reintroducing this legislation that will help so many facing serious illnesses."

The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act would strengthen training for new and existing physicians, those who teach palliative care, and other providers who are part of the palliative care team to give patients and their families a voice in their care and treatment goals. It also boosts palliative care research and provides academic and career awards to incentivize the practice and study of palliative and hospice care.

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