North Texas health workforce gets a major boost

As the conversation continues from the “C-Suite” to the nursing unit and all points in between, it is clear there needs to be a boost in the healthcare workforce. This need to find qualified healthcare professionals is urgent. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken steps to ensure this need is met both for nursing and other health professions alike. Did you know 82 percent, or $45.4 million of the $55.5 million granted by HHS to help grow the nation’s healthcare workforce is to develop the nursing component? This is according to the Dec. 10, 2013 publication of the D Healthcare Daily.

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Over $338,000 is slated for North Texas and is very specific to nursing. University of Texas-Arlington will receive $89,742 for its nurse faculty loan program. Texas Christian University is slated to receive $58,815 for its nurse faculty loan program as well as another $81,229 for its nurse anesthetist traineeship funding. Texas Wesleyan University nurse anesthetist traineeship will receive $108,305. Other schools in Texas awarded nurse faculty loan program grants and nurse anesthetist traineeship grants include University of Texas at Austin, University of Health Science Center at Houston and the University of the Incarnate Word.

Besides nursing, more than 270 grants will address a wide spectrum of health workforce needs in public health, behavioral health, health workforce development and dentistry. These grants are being managed by the HHS’s Health Resources and Services Administration. A complete list of awardees is available at http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2013tables/healthprofessions/ and includes additional sites throughout Texas.