Durbin, Hagel Reintroduce Bill to Increase Public Health Workforce

Press Release

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE) today reintroduced the Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act. This legislation aims to increase the pipeline of qualified public health workers at the federal, state, local and tribal levels by offering scholarships to students going into the public health field. It also encourages current employees to stay in the public health field by providing loan repayments in exchange for a commitment of a designated number of years of service in public health. Senators Hagel and Durbin have introduced similar legislation in the last two Congresses.

"Highly qualified health professionals are a critical part of our nation's public health workforce," Durbin said. "This bill provides the needed incentives to recruit and retain these vital workers by offering scholarships and loan repayment programs. We can no longer put off our efforts to ensure that our nation has an adequate number of qualified and dedicated public health workers."

"There are critical public health workforce shortages in federal, state, local and tribal health agencies. The ability of the public health system to respond to emerging infectious diseases, food-borne illnesses, or bioterrorism relies on a well-trained, adequately staffed public health workforce at all levels. We must address this problem before it becomes a crisis," said Hagel.

The average age of lab technicians, epidemiologists, environmental health experts, microbiologists, IT specialists, public health administrators and others who make up the public health workforce is 47, seven years older than the average age of the nation's workforce. Over the next five years, Nebraska will have more public health workers who are eligible for retirement than any other state in the nation.

To encourage young people to enter the public health field, the legislation authorizes $35 million per year for scholarships, and $195 million per year for loan repayments. Eighty percent of the funds would be dedicated for placing public health workers at the state and local level. Bonus payments would be available to those who agree to be placed in underserved areas.

The legislation is supported by the following organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; American Public Health Association; Partnership for Public Service; Association of Schools of Public Health; Society for Public Health Education; and the National Indian Health Board.

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