Speaking out for People with
 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

VOR Comments to Senate HELP Committee on Workforce Crisis

On February 16, 2023, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee held its first hearing on the health care workforce crisis. The meeting focused on the shortage of doctors and nurses, especially the imprnding retirement of most of the nursing force in the years ahead and the current/recent lack of enrollees in nursing schools. Only one brief mention was made of the crisis in the workforce of Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) that has been shutting down care services systems for people with I/DD and autism.

On March 20, 2023, VOR submitted comments to the Senate HELP Committee, asking them to expand the scope of their investigations to include this essential workforce and take action to this critical shortage of caregivers.

Please download (and share) VOR's comments here

Read the letter from Senate HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. here