OKC Standard

U.S. Senators Markwayne Mullin and Catherine Cortez Masto have reintroduced bipartisan legislation aimed at enhancing the recruitment and retention of medical workers for Indian Health Services (IHS). The proposed IHS Workforce Parity Act seeks to improve healthcare in Tribal communities by enabling part-time providers to access IHS scholarship and loan repayment programs. Although the bill passed unanimously in the Senate during the last Congress, it did not proceed to a vote in the House of Representatives.

The IHS faces a 25% vacancy rate among healthcare providers. The new legislation aims to attract doctors and nurses to both IHS and Tribal health facilities, which serve over 2.5 million American Indian and Alaskan Native Tribal members.

Senator Mullin stated, "I am confident our legislation will help address the current difficulty IHS is facing in recruiting and retaining health care professionals." He emphasized that rural healthcare providers like IHS have unique staffing needs, and the bill offers a flexible, cost-effective solution to maintain competitiveness in recruitment efforts.

Senator Cortez Masto highlighted the impact on quality of care due to shortages, stating, "The severe shortage of IHS health care providers poses a threat to the quality of care that Nevadans in Tribal communities receive. That is unacceptable." She called for Congressional action on this bipartisan initiative as a means to provide real solutions for Indian Country.