U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), a bipartisan bill to grow, improve and sustain the palliative and hospice care workforce to keep pace with patients’ needs and to help improve the well-being of Americans with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

“Having served as my grandmother’s primary caregiver as she grew older, this issue is near and dear to me, and I want to make a difference for families like mine experiencing serious health concerns,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work on this bipartisan bill that will grow and sustain our palliative and hospice care workforce and in turn, improve the quality of life for the growing number of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.”

“Access to high quality palliative and hospice care services is vital for patients and their families,” Senator Capito said. “As a caregiver for parents living with Alzheimer’s disease, I saw firsthand just how valuable these services are. In order to preserve access to this care, our bill would strengthen training and education opportunities for individuals working in these fields. I look forward to working with Senator Baldwin and my colleagues in the Senate to pass this legislation.”

Palliative and hospice care focus on relieving patients’ suffering from serious illnesses and working to improve their quality of life. The work is done through an interprofessional team of doctors, nurses, social workers, physician assistants, and other specialists focusing on the patients’ needs and ensuring families a voice in achieving their treatment goals. Medical research shows that palliative and hospice care have been associated with enhanced quality of life for patients, reduced hospital expenditures and lengths of stay, and longer patient survival time.

As palliative care needs increased, the number of professionals and providers needed to fulfill patient needs has not kept pace. Senators Baldwin and Capito’s PCHETA will help build a health care workforce more closely aligned with the nation’s evolving health care needs and improve care and quality of life for millions of Americans facing serious illness by focusing on three key areas:

·         Workforce Training: Ensure we have education centers, curricula, and teachers to expand interdisciplinary training in palliative and hospice care and establish programs to attract and retain providers.

·         Education and Awareness: Share resources and information to ensure that patients, families and health professionals are informed about the benefits of palliative care and the services that are available to support patients with serious or life-threatening illness.

·         Enhanced Research: Direct NIH to use existing authorities and funds to expand palliative care research to advance clinical practice and improve care delivery for patients with serious or life-threatening illness.

PCHETA is supported by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Hospice Action Network, the Association of the United States, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and many others. A letter in support of PCHETA from more than 50 organizations can be found here.

A one pager on the bill is available here. Full text of the legislation is available here.

Take action on PCHETA… CLICK HERE to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support this important legislation through the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Hospice Action Network. The network is completely automated. You simply need to enter your name, address, and limited contact information and the Network takes care of the rest.