The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) today reacted to Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024–2025 state budget. HAP President and CEO Nicole Stallings released the following statement:
“HAP and Pennsylvania’s hospitals thank Governor Shapiro for highlighting critical health care issues in his budget address. We applaud the governor’s proposals to increase investments in behavioral and maternal health programs. We also appreciate efforts to help more at-risk Pennsylvanians keep their health insurance and more low-income Pennsylvanians pay off their medical debt.
"It’s no secret there is a health care workforce emergency, and the governor was right to note that having enough caregivers is crucial to ensuring access to care. The hospital community supports the governor’s plans to bolster home- and direct-care providers and looks forward to working with him to ensure that his education and skill-building proposals realize the strategic priority of training all of the health care professionals the state needs.
"HAP and hospitals are eager to continue urgent work with the Shapiro administration, elected officials from both parties, and community leaders, to ensure Pennsylvania’s rural health care providers can sustainably serve their communities.
"We look forward to opportunities to work with the Shapiro administration and the General Assembly on investments that will address important issues facing hospitals, strengthen the commonwealth’s economy, and improve access to care for all Pennsylvanians.”
About HAP: HAP is a statewide membership services organization that represents more than 230 hospitals and health systems as well as the patients and communities they serve. Additional information about HAP is available online.
Tags: Workforce | Access to Care | State Advocacy | Rural Health Care | Behavioral Health | Women's Health
Kim Yakowski, Manager, Media Relations
Additional resources can be found at HAP's Media page.
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