Alexandria, Va, Oct. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) today applauded the passage of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (H.R. 647), which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.
"We're grateful for the House's vote to support federal policies that improve and expand training to meet the growing demand for hospice and palliative care," said NHPCO President and CEO Edo Banach. "Increasing the number of professionals in these vital person-centered care fields will mean that even more Americans and families can benefit from this care that supports physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health."
The bill, introduced by Congressmen Eliot Engel (D-NY), Tom Reed (R-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Greg Walden (R-OR), represents a significant first step towards expanding palliative care access for all Americans. Without the support and resources this bill provides, recent projections indicate that by 2030, there will only be one palliative care physician for every 26,000 seriously ill patients. NHPCO is now asking the Senate to act quickly on this legislation, where a similar measure, S.2080, is currently being sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).
“This predicted shortage of care providers would gravely impact access to quality hospice and palliative care services for individuals facing serious, advanced or life-limiting illness. Congress must therefore act swiftly and decisively to meet this growing challenge,” Banach concluded.
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About NHPCO
As the leading organization representing integrated, person-centered healthcare, NHPCO gives ongoing inspiration, practical guidance, and legislative representation to hospice and palliative care providers so they can enrich experiences for patients and ease caregiving responsibilities and emotional stress for families.