{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-introduces-bill-to-make-health-care-apprenticeship-programs-more-accessible-to-address-labor-shortage", "Wyden Introduces Bill to Make Health Care Apprenticeship Programs More Accessible to Address Labor Shortage", "2024-12-06", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", "wyden", "https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "The American Hospital Association reported that America will face a shortage of approximately 100,000 critical health care workers by 2028\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 As America faces nationwide health care worker shortages, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a bill that would make it easier for health care employers to create new registered apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of health professionals.\n\n\u201cAmerica is desperate for more health care providers after the burnout of the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d Wyden said. \u201cApprenticeship programs are instrumental in getting new workers a foot in the door by giving them the hands-on experience they need in a clinical setting. Right now, labor agencies aren\u2019t reviewing applications for new programs with the urgency this crisis demands. Expediting the process will create more opportunities for talented people to enter the medical field.\u201d\n\nUnder the Department of Labor\u2019s Healthcare Apprenticeships, there are programs for people aspiring to be medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, behavioral health paraprofessionals, registered nurses and home health aides, among other critical providers delivering high quality care to patients nationwide.\n\nWyden\u2019s Fast Track Apprenticeship Act would update and accelerate federal and state labor agencies\u2019 healthcare apprenticeship application process by:\n\nRequiring federal and state labor agencies to make determinations on health care apprenticeship applications within 45 days of receipt.\n\nRequiring the Department of Labor to digitize apprenticeship agreement forms, modernize the application process and enhance accessibility for applicants.\n\n\u201cThe Hospital Association of Oregon appreciates Senator Wyden\u2019s efforts to grow the health care workforce by reducing barriers to establishing apprenticeship programs. When planning for our hospitals\u2019 workforce pipelines, apprenticeships are an option that can increase diversity and allow workers to live and work in their communities while receiving their training. To mitigate the capacity challenges and prevent future crises \u2014 both for the workforce and for patients \u2014 there must be intentional efforts to develop innovative solutions, which should include apprenticeships,\u201d wrote Becky Hultberg, President & CEO of the Hospital Association of Oregon.\n\nSenator Wyden has been a strong advocate in the Senate for addressing the health care workforce shortage. In August, Wyden introduced bipartisan legislation to provide federal support for community-led education and training for health care workers in rural and underserved communities. In October, he urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to finance, support and expand the availability of addiction medicine specialists. In May, Wyden released proposals to expand and improve the distribution of Medicare-supported residency programs to rural areas and specialties in shortage.\n\nThe bill text is here.\n\nA one-page summary is here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/wyden-introduces-bill-to-make-health-care-apprenticeship-programs-more-accessible-to-address-labor-shortage"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6118199564516544, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}