Kamala Harris Announces $1.5 Billion Healthcare Investment For Underserved Communities As Part Of Larger Equity Push

Topline

Vice President Kamala Harris announced $1.5 billion in funding by the Biden administration for several healthcare initiatives including service programs for medical students and professionals to work in hard-hit communities in exchange for scholarships and loan repayments, part of the White House’s larger effort at “keeping equity centered” in its pandemic response.

Key Facts

Big Number

7%. That’s the percentage of physicians in the United States who identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino versus the 31% of the overall population, according to the announcement. Part of the funding will go to the “mobilization” of the 25% of physicians in the National Health Service Corps who identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino in the hopes of “addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and expanding the representation of these communities in health care professions.”

Key Background

The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the myriad inequalities at play in the U.S., and within its health systems in particular. People of color have been especially hard hit, as have those in rural communities. The National Health Service Corps and other programs that will benefit from the new investment are designed to bridge such gaps. The NHSC was founded in 1972, and along with the Nurse Corps, services some 23.6 million patients in parts of the country with limited healthcare access.

Further Reading

“Harris to announce $1.5B investment in health care workforce” (Associated Press)

“Harris announces $1.5B to fight shortage of doctors in underserved communities” (The Hill)

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