Vice President Kamala Harris doesn’t speak out much, but when she does, she says ridiculous things like our health care workers need to look more “like America.” According to Harris, the COVID-19 pandemic did us all a favor; it exposed the systemic inequities in the healthcare system.
On Monday Harris made the announcement that the Biden administration will be investing $1.5 billion from the COVID-19 relief package to tackle the shortage of health care workers in high-risk and underserved communities.
“Our nation must invest in a health care workforce that looks like America, and provide access to equitable health care for all Americans,” said Harris. “Our administration’s goal here is to address the urgent shortage of doctors, nurses and behavioral health providers in both urban and rural areas” she added.
Specifically, the funding will go to the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps, as well as to Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery programs. The organizations offer scholarships and loan repayments for health care students and workers if they pledge to work in underserved and high-risk communities, reports Fox News.
“The president and I asked members of our task force to advise us not just on COVID-19 disparities, but on how we get at the root of all the disparities in the health care system that we face. And earlier this month, in their final report, the task force laid out clear priorities for our administration and our nation” said Harris.
