A Call for Action: Advocating for Increased Funding for the Allied Health Professions: ASAHP Leadership Development Program.

Allied health professionals are a diverse group of health care workers who provide necessary services to patients in addition to, or in place of, services provided by physicians, nurses, and medical paraprofessionals. Two forces generating increased demand for allied health professionals are the aging of the US population and health care reform associated with the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Although the allied health professions comprise nearly 60% of the health care workforce, the funding to support workforce training, faculty development, and research in the allied health fields lags substantially behind funding for the physician and nursing professions. Increased advocacy efforts are needed to increase the awareness of what the allied health professions contribute to health care and to expand funding across all health care professions.