Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working across the aisle to reduce the shortage of medical professionals in Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff is cosponsoring the bipartisan Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (REDI Act), which would allow recent graduates of medical school to defer their student loan payments without interest while they serve in a medical or dental internship or residency program, aiming to attract more young professionals to go into the medical field.
The bipartisan bill was first introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and John Boozman (R-AR).
“There’s no worse nightmare for any family than having a loved one who’s sick but there are not enough doctors or nurses available to help in an emergency,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why I am working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to strengthen our healthcare workforce in Georgia.”
According to a 2022 report by the Georgia Healthcare Workforce Commission, Georgia’s health care industry is expected to need 239,000 new employees by 2032.
According to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the median education debt for medical school graduates was $200,000, and 73% of graduates reported having education debt.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to strengthen health care for Georgia families.
In February, Sens. Ossoff and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act to help more veterans in rural areas get transportation to VA health facilities and access the health care benefits they’ve earned.
Last November, Sen. Ossoff delivered over $1.7 million through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to help hire and train more mental health counselors for students in Georgia schools.
In October, Sen. Ossoff delivered Federal resources to strengthen nurse training programs across Georgia through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
In 2024, Sen. Ossoff delivered $1,205,656 in Federal funding through the Children’s Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program to help Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory University train and retain more pediatric physicians.
Click here to read the bipartisan REDI Act.
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