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Experts Say the Allied Health Work Force Is in Jeopardy

From increasing health care costs to an increase in the number of Americans who lack health insurance policy, there are many health care problems that are attracting considerable attention in Congress. However, some say there is one important aspect that fails to receive sufficient notice: the adequacy of the allied health care work force. Aside from medical practioners, nurses and pharmacists, these professionals will be the workers involved in patient care in hospitals. Additionally they work in a broad selection of other health care settings. A growth in demand, retirements, technology developments and other options for allied health graduates have placed a pressure on the educational direction. In accordance with the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, a company representing allied health education in the U.S., a vivid example of this disturbing trend may be found among the allied health professions. Currently, several industries within the allied health professions are susceptible. Like, though a high percentage of treatment equipped in a hospital is associated with medical laboratory tests, the medical technologists who perform these procedures are receiving a personnel shortage that's just like critical - or even worse than - what afflicts the national nurse shortage. As a way of handling the problem, ASAHP is working with various other organizations in the development of legislation known as S. 473, the Allied Health Vocations Reinvestment Act of 2005, and H.R. 215, a companion bill. Presented to Congress in 2005, this proposed legislation is designed to supply an answer for the allied health work force dilemmas. If something is not done soon, the business cautions that there will be an alarming upsurge in adverse events affecting patients because of a limited supply of allied health caregivers. The definition of "allied health" was coined by the federal government in 1966, when legislation was needed to cure severe work force shortages among health and health-related occupations such as for instance physical therapy. website link building