Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $159.1 million in grants to healthcare workforce training programs.
The grants will build on the multi-million-dollar investments already made under the Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act to strengthen and grow the primary care workforce. Funds will target three types of programs: nursing workforce development programs, interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students.
“We cannot build a healthier America if our country continues to face a growing health professions shortage,” said Sebelius. “A well-trained, educated and diverse workforce is critical to meeting future healthcare demands and to reforming the nation’s healthcare system.”
“These grants target key workforce needs,” said Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN. “In addition to training new healthcare workers, these grants will support efforts to better prepare healthcare workers to care for our diverse and aging population, improving healthcare quality for all Americans.”
Nursing workforce development programs will receive $106 million in grants to support all levels of nursing education:
- Advanced education nursing ($42 million).
- Advanced education nursing traineeship ($16 million).
- Nurse anesthetist traineeship ($1.3 million).
- Nurse education, practice, quality and retention ($29.9 million).
- Nursing workforce diversity ($14.3 million).
- Faculty development – specifically, the Integrated Technology into Nursing Education and Practice Initiative ($2.5 million).
Eighty-five awards totaling $29.5 million will fund three geriatric education and training programs at accredited health professions schools:
- Geriatric education centers ($17.2 million).
- Geriatric training for physicians, dentists and behavioral and mental health professionals ($8.1 million).
- Comprehensive geriatric education programs ($4.2 million).
Eighteen awards totaling $23.6 million will support Centers of Excellence programs that are designed to improve the recruitment and performance of underrepresented minority students preparing for health professions careers.
According to officials, “The program supports activities to develop an educational pipeline to enhance academic performance of underrepresented minority students. It supports underrepresented minority faculty development, facilitates research on health issues particularly affecting underrepresented minority groups and provides training to students at community-based health facilities for providing health services to underrepresented minority individuals."
The awardees are schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and allied health (including designated historically black colleges and universities, graduate programs in behavioral health and other public and nonprofit health or educational organizations).
A full list of individual grants can be found here.