More Than $522,000 Awarded To Boost State’s Health Care Workforce Training

WASHINGTON, D.C. — United States Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced August 5 that $159.1 million will be granted to health care workforce training programs, and eight of those grants totaling $522,528 will go to Connecticut.

Danbury Hospital’s Comprehensive Geriatric Education Program received the single largest allocation among the state recipients, totaling $160,000.

These grants build on the multimillion-dollar investments made under the Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act to strengthen and grow the state and nation’s primary care workforce. The grants 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 Secretary Sebelius. “A well-trained, educated, and diverse workforce is critical to meeting future health care demands, and to reforming the nation’s health care system.”

“These grants target key workforce needs,” said Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN. “In addition to training new health care workers, these grants will support efforts to better prepare health care workers to care for our diverse and aging population, improving health care quality for all Americans.”

Nursing Workforce Development programs will receive $106 million in grants. These Nursing Workforce Development programs are the primary source of federal funding for nursing education, offering financial support for nursing education programs, individual students, and nurses.

These programs bolster nursing education at all levels, from entry-level preparation through graduate study, and also prepare faculty to teach the nation’s future nursing workforce.

Eighty-five awards totaling $29.5 million will fund three geriatric education and training programs at accredited health professions schools. These programs improve training, develop curricula, support faculty training and continuing education, and fund geriatric training in multiple disciplines, including dentistry and behavioral and mental health.

Eighteen awards totaling $23.6 million were announced to support Centers of Excellence programs that are designed to improve the recruitment and performance of underrepresented minority students preparing for health professions careers.

Secretary Sebelius discussed the program, which includes both new and continuing grants, at the recent National Health Service Corps Conference. The National Health Service Corps is another HRSA program which has seen new resources under the Obama Administration to invest in America’s health care workforce in underrepresented areas.

Lists of grant awards in Connecticut include the following programs at area universities and medical centers:

Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Grants

*Fairfield University, $35,437

*Sacred Heart University, $21,936

*Quinnipiac University, $25,038

*Yale University, $71,458

*University of Connecticut, $55,711

Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship Grants

*Fairfield University, $19,597

Comprehensive Geriatric Education Programs Grants

*Danbury Hospital, $160,000

*Fairfield University, $133,351