More than $100 million will be invested by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration to aid the nursing workforce shortage, officials said.
“We don’t have enough doctors or nurses who are practicing. We don’t have enough psychologists or counselors to address the rising rates of substance use disorders. We don’t have enough midwives, pharmacists and professional caregivers to meet the needs of Americans,” Xavier Becerra, HHS secretary, said during the call.
The bulk of the support will be put toward training nurses who will work in primary care, maternal care and mental healthcare. The agency has allocated $34.8 million for the Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program to train more nurses in these areas, and $30 million for the Advanced Nursing Education-Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Program to support residency and fellowship programs, Becker’s reports. Read more.
