How American Health Care Relies on Filipino Nurses | Asia Forward | Episode 14

For decades, Filipino nurses have filled critical roles across the U.S. health care system. They've helped hospitals respond to staffing shortages, cared for patients during public health crises, while also supporting families and communities in both the United States and the Philippines. In episode 14 of this Asia Forward podcast, host Ledy Simarmata speaks with Madelyn Yu, a retired nurse with more than 45 years of experience, living in New Jersey, who formerly served as the national president of the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA). She reflects on her decision that brought her from the Philippines to the U.S., the cultural adjustments she faced in Kansas City and the earlier experiences that shaped her career. Her story is also part of a larger story of Filipino nurses who built professional networks and helped Filipino American communities grow across the country.  The conversation looks at how the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 created new opportunities for foreign-trained nurses to stay in the U.S., and why U.S. hospitals have continued to rely on Filipino nurses. She also shares what that history means today and why Filipino nurses remain such an important part of the U.S. health care workforce. COVID-19 showed how much Filipino nurses had to endure during a major health crisis. The group accounted for a disproportionate share of recorded nurse deaths during the pandemic. She reflects on that toll, what it revealed about staffing and workplace protections and how the U.S. health care system should respond to continuing nurse shortages. Their impact also extends beyond the hospitals and communities where they work. Filipino nurses support the U.S. economy while sending billions of dollars each year in remittances to families in the Philippines. The conversation considers this connection between the two countries, as well as the challenges of recruiting health care workers from a country that has its own need for nurses. With the U.S. population aging, the demand for nursing care is likely to keep growing. Madelyn offers her perspective on a proposal for Americans from Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) to study nursing in the Philippines, the potential for closer U.S.-Philippines cooperation in health care and the growing number of Filipino nurses moving into leadership and entrepreneurship. Looking ahead, she reflects on how the role of Filipino nurses may change over the next decade and shares a personal message with nurses in the U.S. and all around the world.  Chapters: 0:35 Introduction 1:36 What brought Madelyn Yu to the United States. 3:25 How the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) opened new pathways for migrant nurses including those from the Philippines. 5:11 How Madelyn reflects on her decision leaving the Philippines for the U.S. as a young nurse, a wife and a mother. 06:05 What Madelyn’s early cultural adjustment was like. 07:02 How Madelyn built her nursing career in America. 07:49 How Madelyn became president of PNAA and what PNAA advocates for Filipino nurses. 10:25 How Filipino nurses helped build the Filipino American community. 12:13 Why Filipino nurses faced a disproportionate COVID-19 death toll. 18:37 Why U.S. hospitals continue to rely on Filipino nurses. 20:27 What being a nurse means to Madelyn. 21:17 How the U.S. health care system should address nurse shortages. 23:21 How Filipino nurses support the Philippine economy through remittances. 26:37 How Filipino nurses contribute to both the U.S. and Philippine economies. 27:41 Whether more Americans should study nursing in the Philippines as proposed by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois). 29:34 How the U.S. and the Philippines can work together on health care. 30:29 Why Filipino nurses will be important as America ages. 32:13 How Filipino nurses are moving into leadership and entrepreneurship. 33:48 What role Filipino nurses could play over the next 5-10 years. 34:54 What Madelyn wants Filipino nurses to know.