Heinrich, Wyden Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Pathways to Health Careers & Address Healthcare Provider Shortages

WASHINGTON - This National Health Center Week, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, reintroduced their Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation to create pathways to in-demand, high-quality healthcare careers and help address provider shortages in New Mexico, Oregon, and nationwide.

In New Mexico, 32 out of 33 counties are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary care, behavioral health, and/or dental health. New Mexico needs at least an additional 5,000 healthcare workers to address the current provider shortage.

The Pathways to Health Careers Act aims to address this shortage by restarting and modernizing the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program, which has a proven track record of preparing workers for jobs in the healthcare industry by providing career coaching, job placement, and a range of other support services.

"The healthcare provider shortage in New Mexico isn't theoretical. It's an everyday reality. New Mexicans are being forced to either endure months-long appointment wait times or, if they can, paying the high costs of traveling out of state or going to the ER to get the health care they need, when they need it. Families in our state deserve better," said Heinrich. "Our Pathways to Health Careers Act helps address the healthcare provider shortage by strengthening the pipeline to high-quality healthcare careers, to get more New Mexicans the care they need to live healthy lives."

"In June 2026 alone, nearly 900 health care workers across 11 states were laid off due to Republicans' shameful budget cuts," said Wyden. "At a time when communities are facing health care workforce shortages, it has never been more important to invest in the next generation of health professionals. This legislation would provide families in Oregon and nationwide with the resources they need - including job training, childcare, transportation and more - to begin well-paying careers in health care."

Companion legislation in the House is led by U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Senior Democratic Member of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.

"Restoring and strengthening the Health Profession Opportunity Grant program will connect a new generation of workers with career pathways to in-demand health care jobs while addressing barriers to employment that too often prevent the full potential of our work force - especially women and people of color - from being realized," said Davis."Before its Republican-forced expiration, this proven initiative expanded economic opportunity for working families across America, which I saw first-hand in the work by Chicago State University. I am proud to lead this bill to create jobs and expand access to care with Senator Martin Heinrich, and I thank Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal and my Democratic colleagues for their continued support of this critical program."

Created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program stands out among other job training approaches because of its mix of career coaching, job placement, childcare, and post-employment support services included. The program aims to increase the number of qualified health professionals in rural, Tribal, and urban areas experiencing health professional shortages. Despite its success, the HPOG program expired in September 2021.

This bill would mandate that New Mexico receives a minimum of two HPOG awards. And further guarantees grant set asides for entities that are an Indian tribe, a Tribal organization, or a Tribal college or university.

The Pathways to Health Careers Act reauthorizes and modernizes the demonstration program by providing $435 million annually through 2031 to expand HPOG programs to every state in the country. The dozens of career pathways available through the HPOG program model include becoming a nurse, an emergency medical technician (EMT), a health information technician, a surgical technician, and beyond. The promising model includes:

• A Career Pathway Approach: Apprenticeships, stackable credentials, and ongoing training to support advancement;

• Work Supports: Childcare, transportation, stipends, work supplies, uniforms, and application fees; and

• Case Management: Goal setting, mentoring and career coaching, education planning, interview coaching, and job placement.

To date, the HPOG program has served over 60,000 participants in 32 programs across 23 states.

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and Michael Bennet (D-Col0.).

The legislation is endorsed by the University of New Mexico Health System.

"The healthcare workforce shortage is one of the most significant challenges facing our nation's health system. The Pathways to Health Careers Act invests in people who are ready to serve but often face financial and logistical barriers to entering the healthcare workforce. By supporting training alongside services like childcare, transportation and career coaching, this legislation helps build a stronger workforce and expands access to care where it is needed most," said Michael Richards, MD, MPA, Executive Vice President of UNM Health Sciences and CEO of the UNM Health System.

A fact sheet of the bill is here.

The full text of the bill is here.

For more information on Heinrich's work to expand opportunities for New Mexico workers, click here.

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