ASCP is urging Congress to include the laboratory workforce in any legislation it passes to address healthcare workforce shortages. ASCP’s comments were outlined in a March 20 letter submitted to Congress in anticipation of legislation the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is considering to tackle the historic challenges affecting the nation’s healthcare workforce.
In its letter, ASCP addressed the causes of, and possible policy solutions for, laboratory personnel shortages. Among the causes cited by ASCP were educational costs, salary, workload, stress, and burnout. ASCP argued that high student debt load is one of the reasons why providing loan repayment options for laboratory personnel could help address workforce issues. In addition, ASCP urged Congress to provide laboratory professionals with access to the same federal workforce development programs—like scholarships, fellowships, and financial support for healthcare training programs—currently made available for other healthcare professions.
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