Durbin Highlights Efforts To Address Rural Health Workforce Shortages On The Senate Floor
Press Release
Issues: Health and Health Care
"These small town hospitals are really the lifeline for these communities. They're great sources of pride and employment. They're there for critical medical care and God forbid you lose one. It really is devastating to a community. But my number one takeaway from hospitals in Chicago, the suburbs, and downstate was very simple: we are facing a dramatic shortage of health care providers--doctors and nurses, dentists and mental health providers, EMTs and lab techs. Across the country, we face a shortfall of 120,000 doctors over the next decade. And a recent survey found that 100,000 nurses left the field during the pandemic, with another 800,000 planning to retire soon. This is particularly dire in rural communities."
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