Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Peter King (R-NY) have introduced legislation that directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a study to determine the amount of funding needed to address the nation’s hospital infrastructure needs. Specifically, the study would determine hospitals’ capital needs to improve physical infrastructure, health information technology (HIT) infrastructure, and telehealth services.
Hospitals are a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure, and they continue to deteriorate. Congress must allocate additional funding to ensure that hospitals can deliver high-quality care in an evolving health care system. We are hopeful that a completed study will make many more members of Congress understand the severity of this problem.
Funding for hospital infrastructure has been a GNYHA priority in the 116th Congress. Our advocacy has included circulating a GNYHA white paper outlining the need to address hospital capital needs, workforce issues, and HIT/telehealth infrastructure. We also submitted a comment letter on this issue to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
GNYHA President Kenneth E. Raske provided the following statement on the introduction of this legislation:
“This important bill will study the troubling state of hospital infrastructure in the United States, with a focus on hospitals that serve vulnerable populations. Hospital infrastructure continues to deteriorate nationwide, and access to care is a constant concern in struggling communities. GNYHA applauds Representatives Engel and King for their leadership on this vital issue.”