Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Leo's Letter: The Workforce Crisis and Our Community's Healthcare Needs - The Arc of Massachusetts Skip to main content

Two news stories will be airing soon about our constituents: one on our field’s continued workforce crisis, and the other about the need for education at hospitals and to health care professionals, as a problematic hospital discharge resulted in the death of a gentleman with autism.

Today, we know that Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are essential. On Capitol Hill, we hope that Better Care, Better Jobs (BCBJ) Act will be passed by Congress for these home and community services.

In this post-pandemic period, there are two paths to address the 24/7 isolation and caregiver burnout: funding the workforce at competitive levels, and increasing access for individuals and families to flexible support services. You can learn more here.

As for education, The Arc’s Operation House Call program, which trains over 1,200 students per year, is now at eight medical and nursing schools. In 2021, we completed an on-demand training site for emergency room health care professionals.

These activities funded through personal donations and foundation funding cannot reach all the professionals necessary. More resources and requirements will help. Bills for Hospital Training and Operation House Call will have a substantial impact if passed. You can learn more here.

Please take the time to connect to advance the work of The Arc, and the lives of our constituents.

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