AHA Letter in Support of National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025

July 27, 2026

Dear Senators Blunt Rochester, Tillis, Merkley, Cramer and Coons:

On behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations, our clinician partners — including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers — and the 43,000 healthcare leaders who belong to our professional membership groups, the American Hospital Association (AHA) writes in support of the National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 (S. 1482).

Hospitals and health systems continue to face significant workforce shortages that threaten access to care in communities nationwide. Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system, and addressing persistent workforce challenges requires robust, data-driven strategies to recruit, train, support and retain nurses across all care settings.

The National Nursing Workforce Center Act would establish and strengthen state-based nursing workforce centers to better understand workforce needs and develop evidence-based solutions to address nursing shortages. By supporting statewide data collection, workforce planning, public-private partnerships, research and workforce development initiatives, the legislation would help states identify gaps in nursing supply, education and training capacity while advancing strategies to improve recruitment and retention.

Importantly, the bill recognizes the value of coordinated, state-level approaches to workforce planning. The legislation would support efforts to increase nursing faculty capacity, expand enrollment opportunities, strengthen leadership development, prepare nurses for public health emergencies and improve workforce distribution in rural and underserved communities. It would also provide policymakers, educators, employers and workforce leaders with better data to inform decisions and investments that strengthen the nursing pipeline.

The AHA strongly supports initiatives that help hospitals and health systems recruit and retain the talented workforce needed to meet growing patient needs. We have long advocated for policies that address workforce shortages, reduce burnout, expand training opportunities and strengthen the healthcare workforce across the continuum of care. The National Nursing Workforce Center Act represents an important step toward achieving these goals and ensuring that communities throughout the country have access to a strong and sustainable nursing workforce.

We appreciate your strong leadership on this important issue and look forward to working together to ensure passage of this legislation.

Sincerely,

/s/ 

Lisa Kidder Hrobsky
Senior Vice President
Advocacy and Political Affairs