WASHINGTON—Congressman Bobby Rush’s Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act was reauthorized Dec. 6. This Nursing Relief Act addresses the immediate nursing shortage in the 1st District of Illinois and will be in effect for an additional three years.

            “Health care is a basic human right. The hallmarks of civilized nations are health care, education and democracy,” said U.S. Rep. Rush. “We must continue to fight for safe, affordable health care for all.”

One hospital greatly affected by the Nursing Relief Act was St. Bernard Hospital. Situated in the Englewood community, a poor, urban neighborhood with a high incidence of crime is primarily served by St. Bernard’s Hospital. This small community hospital’s emergency room averages approximately 31,000 visits per year; 50% of their patients are Medicaid recipients and 35% receive Medicare.

Prior to the creation of a non-immigrant visa (H1-C) St. Bernard could not attract nurses into the Englewood area and was forced to hire temporary nurses to service its patients. This resulted in St. Bernard nursing expenditures to increase in the millions.  The Nursing Relief Act sets up a process in order to allow foreign educated nurses to temporarily work in the United States.