Up to $85.3 million of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) $107.2 million in funding awards is earmarked for nurses. The agency bestowed the awards in June 2020 to 310 recipients across 45 states and U.S. territories to increase the healthcare workforce in rural and underserved communities.
The programs that support the nursing community include $26.7 million for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, which provides loans for students who are studying to become nurse faculty. In exchange for full-time postgraduate employment as nurse faculty, the loans will be cancelled up to 85%.
Another $8.3 million was awarded to the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Program, which is designed to train nurses to provide integrated behavioral services in rural communities. An additional $47.8 million for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students and $2.5 million for Nurse Anesthetist Traineeships were also included in the funding.
"Access to a robust and high-quality healthcare workforce is essential for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases in underserved areas," Health Resources and Services Administration Administrator Tom Engels said.