Delaware Health Advocates Push for Stronger Healthcare Workforce
Health advocates in Delaware are urging lawmakers to prioritize strengthening the state’s healthcare workforce. During an advocacy event in Dover, members of the First State Health Leaders Alliance highlighted ongoing workforce shortages and the need for a more robust healthcare system as the state’s population grows and ages. The coalition, made up of multiple healthcare organizations, is promoting an eight-point plan focused on workforce development, recruitment and retention, data collection, and workplace safety. Advocates are calling for increased investment in training programs, early career pathways, and strategies to address staffing gaps and support healthcare workers. In a joint statement with other First State Health Leaders Alliance members, State Representative Valerie Jones Giltner said investing in safe environments and supporting healthcare workers is key to delivering quality care and meeting the state’s healthcare goals.
FSHLA group photo
State Rep. Valerie Jones Giltner
House Speaker Representative Melissa Minor-Brown
In a joint statement FSHLA Members shared:
“Every day, there are new challenges facing the healthcare sector but in Delaware we’re breaking down barriers together. The First State Health Leaders Alliance brings advocates around the table to share experiences, raise issues, and make change. Delaware is special, and we’re fortunate to have exceptional health champions in government to join us as we embark on a new chapter of working together to make Delaware a national model for healthcare. Today, we highlight the backbone of the healthcare system – our workforce – and we will continue to advocate to grow and retain this critical pipeline in the First State.”
The advocates were joined by House Speaker Representative Melissa Minor-Brown and Representative Valerie Jones Giltner. The Delaware House of Representatives and Senate also acknowledged the work of FSHLA formally in a resolution presented by Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Senator Marie Pinkney.
“As a nurse I know our healthcare workers don’t back down from any challenge. It’s engrained in our DNA to fix problems and make a difference. Now as the highest-ranking nurse in that state, I’m fighting for the future our healthcare workers deserve. As we heard today, in order to have a strong Delaware we need a strong healthcare workforce. I’m committed to supporting our health workers and policies that provide a quality, affordable experience for our patients and families, strengthen communities, and improve health outcomes,” said Speaker Minor-Brown.
Added Representative Jones Giltner, “It’s fitting that this advocacy day coincides with Health Workforce Well-Being Day because our health workforce is the backbone of high-quality care. We must recognize that a large portion of the communities that we serve make up the healthcare workforce. By supporting and coming alongside our healthcare systems and the healthcare workforce with innovative approaches, we are supporting our communities holistically. One of the main ways in which we can support our workforce is to invest in creating the safest environments as possible for them. We must start here. Only with a protected workforce can we, as a state, achieve our healthcare system goals of providing quality healthcare to all our citizens.”
Dr. Neil Hockstein, chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission, shared his support of the alliance and their goal to break down barriers in the healthcare system.
“The Delaware Health Care Commission is a broad-based, multistakeholder group exploring all elements of the health sector, including the healthcare workforce. We can accomplish so much by working together and breaking down siloes. The First State Health Leaders Alliance is aligned with this mission and doing important work to improve the health for all Delawareans through partnership and collaboration,” said Dr. Hockstein.