Empowering Immigrant U.S. Healthcare Professionals as Essential Pillars

Prof. Shishir Shakya of Appalachian State University and a Visiting Research Fellow from West Virginia University investigated trends in immigrant healthcare professionals in a recent Baker Institute for Public Policy study, emphasizing their contribution to the United States (U.S.) health system. He researched legal options for medical professionals, such as the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program and the Conrad 30 Waiver Program, in order to address health worker shortages.

Obstacles such as an aging population, workforce shortages, and underrepresentation of minorities hinder healthcare providers’ ability to respond to future health concerns and provide critical treatment in the United States. Policymakers must strike a balance between expanding healthcare access, improving quality, and cutting costs without abandoning compassionate care. Immigrants may provide a realistic solution to these problems.

About the study

The researcher offered long-term trends in healthcare subindustries in the current study by using annual estimates from population utilization microdata obtained from the United States Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS).

The researcher looked at trends in population growth and immigrant proportions in the United States. Individuals born in Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands were both natives and non-US residents, including legally permitted refugees, immigrants, undocumented immigrant groups, and foreign-born temporary residents.

The definitions of native and immigrant populations are consistent with those proposed by the ACS and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The researcher calculated the total number of employed civilian U.S. residents aged 16 and the proportion of immigrants. This demography includes civilians who are employed, civilians who are working, and civilians who are employed but on temporary leave at the time of survey data collection.

Unemployed people, members of the United States military forces (including those on temporary leave), and those not in the labor force were omitted from the total number of civilians working in the United States aged 16 and up. Workers in the healthcare business are classified as ambulatory healthcare services, hospitals, residential and nursing institutions, and social assistance by the North American business Classification System and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Patients who require more than in-home care can be cared for in nursing and residential care facilities. The social assistance subsector includes institutions that provide direct social support to individuals and families in need. Registered nurses, doctors, surgeons, and licensed practical and vocational nurses, for example, perform a wide range of responsibilities and duties in the healthcare industry. Nursing, psychiatry, home health care, and medical assisting are all examples of healthcare support jobs.

Results

The population of the United States in 2021 will be 331 million, with around 45 million immigrants. The proportion of immigrants in the total population is at an all-time high, with 15% being the highest percentage documented among Americans in 1890. From the beginning until the late 1800s, the United States saw a dramatic increase in the proportion of foreign-born people, primarily from North Europe. However, in the ea

rly 1900s, there was a substantial inflow of immigrants, primarily from Poland, Italy, and other Eastern and Southern European countries.

Between 2007 and 2018, the proportion of immigrants among workers aged 16 climbed from 16% to 17%. The proportion of immigrants in the US population increased from 13% to 14% between 2007 and 2021. The healthcare and social support sector, which includes enterprises offering medical treatment in clinics, hospitals, physicians’ offices, residential and nursing care, and social assistance, is one of five of the 20 industrial categories anticipated to grow quickly from 2019 to 2029.

Between 2007 and 2021, the number of workers increased from 15 million to 19 million, with the share of immigrants working in health care rising from 14% to 17%. Nursing care workers increased from 1.7 million in 2007, with a 15.5% immigrant share, to 1.9 million in 2013, with a 16% immigrant share. This trend, however, is reversing, with 1.50 million jobs in the sub-sector expected by 2021, with an immigrant proportion of 18%.

Between 2007 and 2021, the number of registered nurses in the United States climbed from 2.7 million in 2010 to 3.4 million in 2021, while the percentage of immigrant registered nurses increased only modestly. By 2034, the United States may face a physician shortage ranging from 37,800 to 124,000, with shortages in both general and specialty care. Because of the aging baby boomer generation and Medicare’s extension of coverage for home health services in 2017, the demand for home health aides has skyrocketed. In 2021, the average annual wage for home health and personal care aides was $29,430, a 25% rise from 2021 to 2031.

Conclusions

The data revealed that immigrants are critical to the United States’ healthcare industry, with a growing proportion of foreign-born individuals in the civilian workforce. Despite declines in certain industries, they are employed in a variety of healthcare and social support vocations. Programs like the Conrad 30 Waiver Program and legislation like Tennessee H.B. 1312 aim to reduce labor shortages and improve access to care in rural and underserved areas. However, visa processing times and costs are prohibitively long and expensive for international healthcare practitioners. Addressing these barriers and integrating immigrant healthcare professionals should be part of a comprehensive strategy to solve the challenges facing the US healthcare system.

For more information: Shisir Shakya, “Understanding the Role of Immigrants in the US Health Sector: Employment Trends From 2007–21” (Houston: Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy), January 3, 2023. https://doi.org/10.25613/JSF6-