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MULVIHILL: President Trump’s immigration policy endangers hospitals

Understaffed hospitals are in dire need of foreign doctors to address healthcare needs

President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have ignited debate in recent weeks. Much of the controversy surrounded Trump’s ban of immigrants from several predominantly Muslim nations including Iran, Sudan and Yemen. Trump will also temporarily stop the expedited processing of H-1B visas, which skilled workers need to maintain employment in the U.S. The current expedited processing of these visas is completed in 15 days. However, under the Trump administration’s new plan, it could take up to 6 months. Many foreign medical students seek visas through the Conrad 30 J-1 visa-waiver program to work in America in areas short of medical professionals. The program combats doctor shortages around the country to keep hospitals well-staffed, particularly in rural areas. The maintenance of this program is essential to the medical care of Americans. The Trump administration should designate H-1B visas through the Conrad 30 Program as essential for national welfare and consequently expedite their processing.

Although the Trump administration’s immigration orders are part of a larger plan to improve national security, the limitation on these essential visas will have detrimental consequences for many understaffed hospitals. Foreign workers who are part of the Conrad 30 visa waiver program send a waiver to the State Department for approval so that employers can apply for the H-1B visas on behalf of their prospective employees. The Trump administration's effort to delay visa processing has caused many workers to question whether their visas will be processed in time to begin work after graduation. The process requires timely results and, with the new changes, many prospective doctors in the Conrad 30 visa waiver program may not be able to stay in the country.

By slowing the application process exponentially, the Trump administration could damage fragile rural and urban health systems. Many areas around the country with doctor shortages rely on foreign workers to maintain hospital productivity. Additionally, teaching hospitals hire foreign doctors to fill training positions during worker shortages. In both cases, doctors in the Conrad program fill essential positions that would otherwise be left empty. They are not entering the U.S. to take jobs from American workers, as anti-immigration rhetoric would suggest. Instead, they remain in the country after medical school to fill needs in under-staffed areas that are unable to find doctors to hire. Foreign doctors in the Conrad program have to staff rural and urban areas that are experiencing shortages in quality medical care and, without them, many Americans would go untreated.

By deeming these workers essential and expediting their visas, the Trump administration could go a long way in improving struggling hospitals. A CNN article on the topic explained that “in the last 15 years, the Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver has funneled 15,000 foreign physicians into underserved communities, according to the American Association of Medical Colleges.” Every year, thousands of foreign physicians fill demands in the healthcare system that American doctors are unable to meet. With the intended repeal of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare around the country has become an important political topic and the vital service of foreign doctors should not be overlooked. Delays to visas could prevent areas in need from getting staff to care for all, but the Trump administration has the power to fix this issue. The fact of the matter is that America does not have enough doctors to staff its hospitals and the Conrad visa waiver program has helped to solve this problem in years past. As is, many of the doctors in the program are stuck in the middle, unsure if their visas will be approved in time to begin work. Expediting visas for doctors in the Conrad program would help minimize shortages and would likely present little threat to national security.

Carly Mulvihill is a Senior Associate Opinion Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com

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