From the Office of Senator Kerry

Wednesday, October 3, 2001

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA), Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) and Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA) -- joined by nurses who aided victims of the World Trade Center - called today for swift passage of the Nursing Reinvestment Act in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Senator John F. Kerry said, "Dedicated nurses were among the unsung heroes of the September 11th tragedies who, moments after the attacks, leapt into action to attend to the hundreds of victims who needed immediate medical attention.

"The attacks underscored the importance of having a qualified, capable health care network ready to respond at a moment's notice, especially given the threat of biological or chemical attacks and strengthening our nation's nursing workforce is essential to this effort. We must reverse the recent trends that have resulted in a severe shortage of qualified nurses in the United States and ensure that they remain ready to assist when our nation's sick and injured need help. The nursing workforce in our country is top-notch, and its response to the terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon exemplify their dedication, but the profession needs our help."

Senator Kerry is the author of The Nurse Reinvestment Act which supports the recruitment of new nurses into the field, expands education and training for current nurses and, for the first time in history, creates a National Nurse Service Corps to administer scholarships to students who commit to working in a health care facility that is experiencing a shortage of nurses.

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NURSE REINVESTMENT ACT - SUMMARY

• Expansion of Nurse Training Payments - Amends Section 1861 of SSA Expands and adjusts the Medicare payments for clinical nurse education to reimburse qualified hospitals for the costs of training nurses in hospital-affiliated provider programs, including federally qualified community health centers, rural health clinics, nursing homes, home health care agencies and hospices.

• Dedicated Fund for Medicare Clinical Nurse Education in Hospice and Home Health - Authorizes new section to Title XVIII, SSA

Directs the Secretary of HHS to establish rules for making payments to non-hospital-based, federally certified hospice programs and home health agencies for the reasonable costs of providing nurse training during fiscal years 2002 through 2006.

• Medicaid Nurse Aide Education - Amends Section 1903 of SSA

Reauthorizes and modifies the federal Medicaid match for nursing home clinical education of nurses to provide 90% of state costs through 2006.

• National Nurse Service Corps - Authorizes Part J, Title VIII, PHSA

The NNSC shall provide educational scholarships in exchange for commitment to serve 2 years in a public or private non-profit health facility determined to have a critical shortage of nurses. Nurse shortage facilities will be defined by the Secretary according the same formula currently used to assess need under the Nurse Loan Repayment Program. NNSC scholarships shall be qualified as non-taxable income.

• Initiatives to Combat Nursing Shortages -- Authorizes Part H, Title VIII, PHSA Directs the Secretary to develop and issue public service announcements (PSAs) to enhance the profile of nursing, and administer grants to state health care associations to recruit new nurses through local multi-media advertising campaigns. Authorizes funding for national, state and local PSAs. Authorizes grants to eligible entities to: 1) conduct outreach at primary and secondary schools; 2) provide stipends to nursing students from disadvantaged backgrounds; 3) provide remedial education for students who require assistance with math, English and medical terminology; and 4) assist disadvantaged students with the costs of child care and transportation.

• Initiatives to Strengthen the Nursing Workforce -- Authorizes Part I, Title VIII, PHSA

Authorizes grants to eligible entities to: 1) provide scholarships or stipends to nurse aides and nurses for the pursuit of additional nursing education across the career ladder; 2) develop and implement curriculums in gerontology and long-term care; 3) establish partnerships between schools and providers to improve access to care in medically underserved communities, and facilitate distance learning in rural areas and in specialty subjects; and 4) support demonstration projects for innovative nurse retention strategies in a variety of health care settings.