U.S. Senator Katie Britt Advances $2.2 Million for University of West Alabama

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 7, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, locked in $2.2 million for the University of West Alabama in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The funds would aid in the procurement of updated high-fidelity nursing simulation equipment to enhance healthcare workforce education and training.

“Health care is critical for the wellbeing of communities across the state of Alabama. This $2.2 million investment into the University of West Alabama for nursing simulation equipment will help ensure the next generation of health care professionals are well educated and trained on how to serve local families and communities, including in our rural areas,” said Senator Britt. “When I joined the Appropriations Committee, I promised to return your hard-earned taxpayer dollars to Alabama. These dollars are returning home to our great state in a significant way in order to invest in quality medical services for Alabamians.”

The FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

Senator Britt secured $15.218 million for health care funding in the FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, including:

• $2.2 million for the University of West Alabama to procure updated high-fidelity simulation training equipment for nursing student training.
• $6 million for Jackson Hospital and Clinic in Montgomery for medical equipment and critical facility modernization to improve patient care.
• $3 million for Southern Research for technology and lab equipment upgrades to an on-site Biosafety Level-3 laboratory.
• $2 million for Veterans Recovery Center in Mobile for equipment for addiction treatment.
• $700,000 for McMillan Memorial Hospital in Escambia County for necessary medical equipment to improve patient care.
• $500,000 for the Healthcare Authority for the City of Eufaula for medical equipment to improve patient care, including a new x-ray
• $500,000 for Monroe County Hospital for critical equipment necessary to provide health care services to rural Alabamians.
• $300,000 for Coosa County Emergency Management Agency to procure an ambulance.
• $18,000 for Crenshaw Community Hospital for necessary medical equipment, including colonoscopes

Background:

Senator Britt has made health care, including rural and maternal care, a top legislative priority during her first 19 months in office. She joined Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) in introducing the NIH IMPROVE Act. Their bipartisan legislation would provide consistent support and resources for the NIH to conduct important research into the causes of America’s maternal mortality crisis and to improve health care and outcomes for women before, during, and after pregnancy.

Additionally, Senator Britt joined Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in introducing the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act. This bipartisan legislation would expand access to maternal care by offering support for rural health care facilities and doctors to provide urgent obstetric care. This is especially important for Alabama, as 55 of the state’s 67 counties are considered rural.

Senator Britt also reintroduced the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in September 2023. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would eliminate copays and other out-of-pocket expenses for breast cancer diagnostic tests, making them more accessible and affordable.

Last December, Senator Britt joined a bipartisan group of 59 of her Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2023. This bill would expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, make permanent COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, improve health outcomes, and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors, especially important in rural areas.

Additionally, she cosponsored two pieces of bipartisan legislation to help all Alabamians access insulin. They include the Affordable Insulin Now Act of 2023, which would cap the price of insulin for all patients, including those who are uninsured, at $35 for a 30-day supply; and the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act of 2023, which would comprehensively address the skyrocketing costs of insulin, removing barriers to care and making it more accessible for millions more Americans.

Senator Britt, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), also introduced the Youth Mental Health Research Act to create a national Youth Mental Health Research Initiative to guide long-term mental health care efforts, better target preventive interventions for those at risk of developing mental health challenges, and improve treatments for children.

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