Filipinos are a Great Contribution to the US Healthcare System

The stereotype that many nurses in the United States have Filipino heritage is a good one to have. Not only is it true, but they are the back-bone of the American healthcare system. So if you're hurt by the comments made on Desperate Housewives...get over it. Read the article below from the AsianJournal.com. Be sure to write your comments below.

Filipinos Integral Part of US Healthcare Workforce - FCC
By Cynthia De Castro Asianjournal.com

LOS ANGELES – “The Filipinos have been meeting the demands of a nationwide personnel shortage in the American healthcare industry. They are an integral part of the healthcare workforce,” said Commissioner Michael J. Copps of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent United States government agency, directly responsible to Congress.In a recent press interview organized by the Filipino American Leadership Council (FALCON) and Mabuhay Alliance, FCC Commissioners Copps and Jonathan S. Adelstein affirmed the Filipinos’ great contribution to the health care industry. They did not agree with the disparaging remarks made about Filipino doctors in the TV show, Desperate Housewives, and wanted to affirm to the Filipino community that the FCC recognizes the Filipinos’ significant contributions to American health care.

"America relies heavily on the Philippines to solve the country’s nurse shortage," said Commissioner Adelstein. "For decades, the Philippines is the number one source of foreign-trained nurses in the US. They have truly made significant contributions to the country’s health care industry. In fact, the LA City Council called them the back-bone of the American healthcare industry," he added.

On a personal note, Adelstein revealed to Asian Journal that his mother had Parkinson’s Disease and a friend of his brother referred them to a group led by a Filipino who worked with Filipino nurses. "We were enormously satisfied, " Adelstein said. "They are wonderful people. Devoted. You know when it’s a member of your family, you don’t want just anybody to take care of your mother. They took good care of my mom. This experience has been multiplied in many cases across the US. The high quality of care people get from Filipino nurses are just not truly reflected in the media," he said. (AJ)