In the midst of a severe workforce shortage, some Marylanders looking to become health workers are facing a major barrier to registering for their licenses. Occupational boards require an individual to provide a Social Security number (SSN) when applying for licensure or certification. Immigrants who are not yet citizens and don’t have an SSN are … Read more
To combat the critical health care workforce shortage in Maryland, hospital leaders across the state formed a task force to study challenges in the workforce pipeline and provide comprehensive recommendations. Convened by the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) in November 2021, the Task Force on Maryland’s Future Health Workforce released an extensive report this month on … Read more
Maryland is taking steps to improve the integration of behavioral health services in the primary care space, particularly for children and adolescents. With initiatives such as educating providers, strengthening regional partnerships, and advocating for more cohesive financing, experts are working to address what they identify as a “surge in crisis around kids’ and adolescents’ mental … Read more
Maryland’s health care employers continue to face the rise of remote work, workforce burnout, and pressure to recruit and retain a diverse workforce that represents the communities they serve. Three experts shared remarks on how the state should work to strengthen the health care workforce at our 2022 Maryland State of Reform Health Policy Conference … Read more
Two bills aiming to supplement the state health workforce and emergency response system were on the agenda for the House Health and Government Operations Committee Tuesday. The first was a crossover bill sponsored by Sen. Delores Kelley (D – Baltimore). The other was sponsored by committee member Cheryl Landis (D – Prince George’s). … Read more
In the final week before bills passed in their chamber of origin are required to move to the opposite chamber, members of the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee (HGO) voted on several health measures, with still more to come. The committee voted on the following bills Wednesday night. One of the … Read more
As Maryland lawmakers are preparing to introduce final bills for the 2022 legislative session by next week, three bills across both chambers are specifically addressing the ongoing health workforce shortage in the state. Senate Bill 440 passed its second reading with amendments on Thursday. Sponsored by Sen. Pamela Beidle (D – Anne Arundel), … Read more
Maryland hospitals are experiencing a staggering workforce shortage that limits their capacity to meet the needs of all Maryland residents. These challenges come after nearly two years on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when the total demand for hospital care—for COVID and everything else—is without precedent. We are pleased that … Read more
Early on in the pandemic, Maryland’s hospitals were financially sound, according to the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) Chief External Affairs Officer Nicole Dempsey Stallings. Maryland’s unique All-Payer Model, which determines an evenly-distributed, fixed budget for the state’s hospitals each year, acted as a “shock absorber” that helped stabilize both a drop in patient volumes and … Read more
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Monday announced a $5.1 million commitment to recruit registered nurses and other clinical bedside experts from Maryland’s community colleges. This initiative marks the System’s first-ever “One UMMS” unified effort to target new graduates from the state’s two-year schools and will be effective with graduates beginning in December. “As … Read more