|
Maryland's federal funding of $1.5M for upgrading the healthcare workforce has now been almost fully obligated. The grant, with a primary purpose of increasing nursing program faculty has obligated nearly $1M in scholarship funding to 220 nursing students statewide. This includes 60 individuals working on master's level work with a goal of evolving into nurse faculty. Many of the nurse faculty students will be receiving scholarship funding through the spring, 2007 semester. A total of fourteen memoranda of understanding were established between hospitals and colleges in response to the request for proposals issued by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR). Each of these agreements has resulted in increased educational levels for the hospital's students and increased numbers of faculty working at the college. The great majority of the nurse faculty scholarship recipients are now working as instructors at some level.
In addition, nearly $450,000 has been obligated to 54 different employers to train 1,235 incumbent workers for various healthcare occupations. These funds were made available to provide matching funds to healthcare employers that develop training activities for incumbent workers in allied health occupations. The Incumbent Worker Training Program was intended to be responsive to business needs and provide appropriate and effective occupational skills training for existing workers. The incumbent worker program allows current workers to obtain skills in the healthcare professions, leading to potential career growth and increased wages. In addition, once a current worker has advanced, their former position is left vacant for a new worker to fill. This initiative has led to career growth and increased wages for the trainees and has created new job opportunities for others. A limited amount of funding is still available for this initiative and these funds must be accessed through the state's twelve local Workforce Investment Areas.
The success of the scholarship model has resulted in the January, 2006 announcement that the state's Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) intends to provide approximately $9.4 million that will be awarded annually over the next several years to increase the number of bedside nurses in Maryland hospitals. Funding for this initiative is being provided through a 0.1% increase to the rate structure of all hospitals retroactive from July 1, 2005. The initiative hopes to expand the capacity of Maryland's nursing programs and was largely designed after the Teach for the Health of It model. Information on this initiative and the application process may be found at the following location:
http://www.mhec.state.md.us/financialAid/ProgramDescriptions/prog_NSPII.asp |
