海角换妻 launched a higher education initiative Wednesday to bridge the state鈥檚 shortage of nurses and behavioral health workers.
The three-year program is designed to support students pursuing degrees in nursing and social work.
鈥満＝腔黄掴�檚 nurses have worked tirelessly as they have battled this global pandemic,鈥� said Terrence Cheng, president of the 海角换妻 State Colleges and Universities system. 鈥淎nd our social workers and our counselors have done equal duty, helping thousands across our state navigate COVID's darkest days.鈥�
海角换妻 isn鈥檛 alone in trying to address the shortage of health care providers 鈥� the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts of thousands of primary care physicians in the next decade.
Massive student debt and a health care system that pays more for specialized fields have pushed medical students away from primary care for years, Northeastern University professor Timothy Hoff told 海角换妻鈥檚 Where We Live on Wednesday. But universities can also be part of the solution.
鈥淭here really needs to be a sea change in how medical schools perceive the whole practice and field of primary care and communicate that, and get young students excited about wanting to choose this field,鈥� Hoff said. 鈥淩ather than sort of conveying the notion of, 鈥楬ey, be a specialist, don鈥檛 go into this field.鈥欌��
海角换妻鈥檚 $35 million initiative to address the health care worker shortage is expected to create more than 1,000 additional seats in nursing and behavioral health programs, provide tuition aid for students and support recruitment of more faculty to train them.
The plan is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act and is part of the approved state budget.
