Magaziner Hosts Roundtable with Reps. Underwood, Amo, SEIU Nurses on State of U.S. Healthcare System
PROVIDENCE, RI — Today, Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) held a roundtable discussion on the state of the U.S. healthcare system with Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a registered nurse, member of Democratic leadership, and the co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01). The Members of Congress were joined by nurses represented by SEIU Local 1199NE.
“Nurses work tirelessly to provide high-quality care to patients, but are facing increasingly high levels of burnout and turnover, which underscores the importance of providing nurses with the support they need to continue their lifesaving and essential work,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-02). “Our country’s healthcare system depends on nurses to keep communities healthy, and Rep. Underwood and I are committed to supporting healthcare workers in Congress and ensuring Americans have access to the best possible care.”
Nurses from SEIU Local 1199NE, including Amy Smith, RN, Butler Hospital; Ian Lacombe, RN, Butler Hospital; Nicole Jean-Gilles, RN, Bannister Center Nursing Home; Gartee Dennis, LPN, Nursing Home; Nancy Chandley-Adams, RN, IBCLC; and Kelli Price, RN, Advanced Care Unit shared their experiences and discussed ways to support health care professionals and increase recruitment and retention.
The nursing workforce in Rhode Island and across the country has been facing staffing shortages, high rates of burnout, and increased mental and physical health needs from an aging population. These challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic, leading to high turnover and increasingly demanding workplace environments.
According to a research project from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, approximately 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce in 2021 and 2022 due to stress, burnout, and retirement. A Health Workforce Analysis published by the Health Resources and Services Administration, projected a shortage of 78,610 full-time registered nurses (RNs) in 2025 and a shortage of 63,720 full-time RNs in 2030.
Rep. Magaziner is a co-sponsor of Rep. Underwood’s Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act, which would help authorize $1 billion in grants to address the root causes of the nursing workforce shortage by enhancing enrollment and retention of nursing students, increasing nursing faculty, and partnering with healthcare facilities to provide clinical education.
Rep. Magaziner also introduced the Healthcare Worker Retention Act, which would establish a new refundable health care worker tax credit to improve recruitment and retention of healthcare workers
Rep. Underwood previously served as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she helped implement the Affordable Care Act. She is also a Vice-Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus.
