Americans are still feeling the effects of the Pandemic such as shortages in healthcare supplies and frontline workers. Now, Vice President Kamala Harris (D), has announced $1.5 billion invested in the healthcare industry.
"These awards are supporting the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps, and Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery programs. These programs address workforce shortages and health disparities by providing scholarship and loan repayment funding for health care students and professionals, in exchange for a service commitment in hard-hit and high-risk communities." - The White House 11/22/2021
The main benefactors of this historic effort by VP Harris appear to be the National Health Service Corps who takes care of over 20 million patients in the United States and the Nurse Corps. Many Americans have feared a shortage of nurses with the high-risk frontline workers have had to face for almost 2 years now.
Many Republicans have insisted this shortage is due to vaccine mandates dissuading individuals who do not wish to be vaccinated from working. However, Harris touted the American Rescue Plan as an anecdote to the emerging crisis. The Vice President then claimed the American Rescue Plan and the new funding, 22,700 healthcare providers will now receive the help they need.
Although, some parts of the Vice President's plan seem to be more related to equitable outcomes in the workplace than COVID-19 itself, calling her move, "a critical step towards addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and expanding the representation of these communities in health care professions."
