Congress Must Act to Support the Health Care Workforce

The pandemic and its aftershocks have had a profound impact on the health care workforce. Exhausted from the demands of COVID-19, caregivers and support staff joined the great resignation. As a result, patients are now experiencing unprecedented wait times and other barriers to timely care.




Trinity Health is working aggressively to address the workforce shortage by innovating how we deliver care to patients. Our nursing and clinical teams are deploying new staffing models, an effort we call TogetherTeam. One promising model utilizes a three-person care team comprised of an in-person and virtual nurse and a patient care assistant to provide acute care in a unique team-based approach. This new, highly innovative model of care meets the workforce where they are, re-enlisting caregivers who left the workforce or retired but are interested in re-engaging in new, innovative, collaborative ways.




This model empowers patients with highly advanced video and audio bedside technology that brings another dimension of 24/7 virtual nursing services quickly to their fingertips. Patients and families are enthusiastically embracing this model. Caregivers have also been quick to report their satisfaction and increased engagement. Over the next 17 months, Trinity Health will expand this new model across all service areas. Learnings from TogetherTeam will be applied to Trinity Health’s other venues of care.




A workforce crisis like we face today requires bold, innovative solutions. TogetherTeam is just one example of how Trinity Health is committed to improving the health of our communities for the long run.




Innovations like this require financial investments in retraining, new training and technology; investments that are difficult in these trying financial times. Congress can help. Please invest in safety net hospitals by passing: the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act; the Travel Nursing Agency Transparency Study Act; the TRAIN Act to restore funding to nursing schools; and the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act. Congress must also support additional funding for innovative models of care as well as stop additional cuts to Medicare reimbursement. Together, we can care for the common good and rebuild tomorrow's health care workforce.