WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) today reintroduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA)—bipartisan legislation to grow, improve, and sustain the palliative care and hospice workforce to keep pace with patient need and to help improve the well-being of Americans with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
“Having served as a caregiver for my parents living with Alzheimer’s disease, I understand how important palliative and hospice care is and appreciate how much support and comfort it provides to patients and their families,” Senator Capito said. “In order to preserve access to this care, we have to strengthen training and education options for individuals working in these fields, and that’s what this bill would do. I am proud to join my colleague Senator Baldwin in reintroducing this legislation that will help so many facing serious illnesses.”
“I was raised by my maternal grandparents and later served as my grandmother’s primary caregiver as she grew older, so this issue is personal to me, and I want to make a difference for families experiencing serious health concerns,” said Senator Baldwin. “I’m proud to work across party lines and reintroduce the bipartisan Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act with my colleague Senator Capito. We must do more to grow our health care workforce to safeguard and improve the quality of care for the growing number of patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses.”
The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act would strengthen training for new and existing physicians, those who teach palliative care, and other providers who are part of the palliative care team to give patients and their families a voice in their care and treatment goals. It also boosts palliative care research and provides academic and career awards to incentivize the practice and study of palliative and hospice care.
The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and John Hoeven (R-N.D.).
“At a time when more and more health professionals are recognizing the benefits of offering palliative care services, we applaud Senators Baldwin and Capito for the bipartisan introduction of PCHETA in the Senate. Evidence-based research shows that patients who receive access to palliative care services from the point of diagnosis and throughout their care have better quality of life. Passage of PCHETA would lead to better health outcomes for patients with serious illnesses like cancer. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network joins with other advocates from the patient advocacy community in calling for the timely consideration and passage of PCHETA in both chambers of Congress,” said Lisa A. Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
“We commend Senators Baldwin and Capito for their leadership in expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary education and training in palliative care,” said Joanne Wolfe, MD MPH FAAHPM, president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). “PCHETA will lead to great improvements in quality of care and quality of life for the growing and diverse population of patients with serious illness or multiple chronic conditions, as well as their families and caregivers.”
“Bipartisan legislation like the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act are critical in the fight against Alzheimer’s, which 1 in 3 seniors currently die with,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer's Association chief public policy officer and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement executive director. “The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement are grateful for champion lawmakers like Senator Baldwin, who work vigorously to push for improved quality of care and enhanced quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and their caregivers.”
"Palliative care provides the supports and comfort that allow individuals to participate as fully as possible in their lives. Fulfilling our Nation’s need for palliative care-trained clinical staff is a widely-recognized imperative in our health care system, and is essential to meeting the care needs of a wide array of patients – including those with multiple chronic conditions, patients with advanced illness, and those who are terminally ill. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) applauds Senators Baldwin, Capito and others for their continuing efforts to address this need through their reintroduction of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA),” said Bill Dombi, NAHC president.
“We applaud Senate leaders for recognizing the need to increase the ranks of palliative and hospice care professionals and ensure all Americans are able to access person-centered and integrated care,” said Edo Banach, JD, president and CEO of National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). “This bipartisan legislation would provide critical funding and resources to expand our palliative care workforce at a time when the number of individuals facing serious, advanced or life-limiting illness is rapidly growing. We’re calling on all Congressional leaders to rise to meet this challenge and support this important legislation,” Banach concluded.
Palliative care and hospice care focus on relieving and preventing patients’ suffering and improving their quality of life. This interprofessional team-based approach focuses on the patients’ needs, explains treatment options, and gives patients and their families a voice in realizing their treatment goals.
Over the last ten years, the number of hospital-based palliative care programs has quickly increased, but the number of providers available to fulfill the needs of these patients has not kept pace. Furthermore, many patients and care providers are not aware of the benefits and options for palliative and hospice care. To address this issue, the PCHETA will support the following:
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