Federal grants to shore up healthcare workforce

Of the $55.5 million in grants recently awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), $45.4 million will go to develop the nursing workforce. Monies will be available for low-interest educational loans, advanced training and encouraging minorities to become part of the profession.

There is a shortage of registered nurses nationwide, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be more than one million job openings by the end of this decade.

The remaining HHS grant monies will also be used to train doctoral-level psychologists, support residency programs and address the dental workforce. A report, The Global Institute of Emerging Healthcare Practices, said: “[M]ost studies before passage of the Affordable Care Act projected shortages of at least 124,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses by 2025.”

Sandra Hoban

Sandra Hoban was on I Advance Senior Care / Long-Term Living’s editorial staff for 17 years. She is one of the country’s longest-serving senior care journalists. Before joining Long-Term Living, she was a member of the promotions department at Advanstar Communications. In addition to her editorial experience, Sandi has served past roles in print and broadcast advertising as a traffic and talent coordinator.