But Diakhate, who mostly grew up in Oakland and is now a naturalized U.S. citizen, said she’s found a glimmer of hope in a recently introduced U.S. Senate bill that would forgive or fully repay student loan debt for frontline health care workers.
Senate Bill 3828, introduced by Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla from California and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, would benefit medical workers who have provided COVID-related health services during the pandemic. It would include physician assistants like Diakhate, as well doctors, nurses, medical interns, home health care workers, and emergency medical technicians transporting patients to hospitals.
The proposed legislation likely would have a major impact on California’s estimated 1.7 million health care workers. It comes at a time when the state is struggling to expand its health workforce to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, and as longtime industry staffing shortages have been further exacerbated by pandemic burnout.
“Our brave frontline health care workers have fought tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure that our communities stay safe, often putting their own health at risk,” Padilla said in a statement, announcing his Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act. “Unfortunately, far too many of these workers are burdened by crippling student loan debt — that is simply unacceptable.”
There have been more than 35,000 COVID cases among California’s health care workers, resulting in roughly 400 deaths, according to Padilla’s office.
Dr. Janet Coffman, who teaches health policy at UCSF’s Healthforce Center, applauded the bill’s intent of recognizing health care workers’ deep sacrifices and challenges during the pandemic. But she said its current language about who would qualify for loan forgiveness seems “vague,” as hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of people likely would be eligible for the relief.
