As Maryland’s 2022 legislative session gets underway, MHA is shining the spotlight on your achievements and the severe challenges you face in the seemingly never-ending pandemic. You’re treating more COVID-19 patients than ever before. You’re imploring the public to vaccinate, boost, mask, and more.
And after almost two years of this pandemic, you’re sounding the alarm about the state’s staggering health care workforce shortage.
Most lawmakers now recognize that Maryland hospitals are at the brink. MHA will leverage that awareness this session as we advocate on your behalf.
MHA’s top priority is your top challenge—workforce.
MHA launched a four-pronged effort to give short-term relief while working toward long-term solutions with our Task Force on Maryland’s Future Health Workforce. This session we will advocate for policies that:
- Maximize Maryland’s existing health care workforce
- Ensure access to health care providers in neighboring states
- Leverage the state’s historic budget surplus to bolster the health care workforce
- Provide tools to fight nurse staffing agencies’ anti-competitive activities
MHA also aims to improve the liability climate. Bolstered by an independent actuarial analysis the Health Services Cost Review Commission obtained thanks to MHA’s successful advocacy in the 2020 session, we have objective proof Maryland’s medical liability is unsustainable.
MHA has secured a legislative briefing Jan. 20 on the report. This event will give hospitals a platform to make the case for reform.
Resources to help all hospitals’ advocacy efforts are on our
website and will be updated throughout what we hope will be a winning session.
Bob Atlas
President & CEO