Bolster the Clinician Workforce Now and For the Future

As the U.S. population ages and cardiovascular clinicians are increasingly susceptible to burnout, we must diversify the health care workforce, find solutions for rising education costs, and improve patient access through telehealth and new staffing models. ACC Advocacy focal points in this priority include:

  • Maximizing the strengths of the entire cardiovascular care team.
  • Supporting clinician well-being and ensuring safety for both clinicians and patients.
  • Promoting a robust clinical workforce by addressing noncompete reforms and expanding graduate medical education (GME) slots.

ACC in Action

  • The ACC and its Chapters continue to engage lawmakers at the state level to push for noncompete reform while the courts decide on cases challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) final rule.
  • The ACC is a member of the GME Advocacy Coalition working to expand GME slots and increase training opportunities.
  • The ACC joined as an original supporter of the Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Act, which embraces the team-based approach to care by allowing advanced practice providers to order cardiovascular rehabilitation services.
  • The ACC joined two letters to Congress cautioning against proposed changes to the student loan program in the reconciliation package.

Policy Progress

  • The FTC issued a final ruling banning noncompete agreements nationwide, which currently faces challenges in federal court.
  • The Resident Education Deferred (REDI) Act (H.R. 2028/S. 942) was reintroduced, which would allow interest-free deferment of student loans during medical and dental resident training.
  • The Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act (H.R. 2191) was reintroduced, which would allow physician ownership of certain facilities to address the trend of hospital closures in rural areas.
  • In Virginia, bills addressing violence against health care workers and payments for claims were recently signed into law, and in Arkansas, Indiana and Wyoming, non-compete bills establishing protections for clinicians are now law.

Get Involved

Invite a lawmaker to your practice to showcase the strength of the cardiovascular care team.

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