Granite State Times

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced with U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas that the University of New Hampshire will receive $650,000 to support nursing students who commit to working in rural or underserved communities. This grant comes through the Department of Health and Human Services’ Advanced Nursing Education Workforce Program and will help New Hampshire respond to its health care workforce shortage.

“Addressing New Hampshire’s nursing workforce shortage is crucial to ensuring that all Granite Staters can access the care that they need,” said Senator Hassan. “This funding will support nursing students at the University of New Hampshire who plan to work in rural and underserved communities and helps address the range of health care challenges, including mental health and substance use disorders, that communities across our state face.”

“As communities across New Hampshire are impacted by ongoing nursing and health care workforce shortages, I’m thrilled to see these federal funds headed to UNH to support their Advanced Nursing Education Workforce program,” said Senator Shaheen. “This program is essential to bolstering New Hampshire's health care workforce as well as filling gaps for substance use disorder and other mental and behavioral care providers. Investing in educational programs and resources is essential to ensuring all Granite Staters, especially those in rural communities, have access to the care and treatments they need—I look forward to seeing the tangible impact of these funds across New Hampshire.” 

“When we invest in the strength and resilience of our health care workforce, our entire state feels the benefits,” said Congresswoman Annie Kuster, founder, and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. “I’m thrilled that this funding, which the federal delegation advocated for, is heading to UNH to support their efforts to address primary care workforce shortages. I look forward to seeing the impact of this program on New Hampshire and in our rural and underserved communities.”

“This investment will strengthen the University of New Hampshire’s training for nursing students and ensure rural and underserved communities can access the health care they need,” said Congressman Pappas. “Our health care workers show up for our communities every day, and I will keep fighting to secure resources that support their vital work, invest in our workforce, and expand access to health care.”

Senator Hassan has worked across the aisle to help bolster New Hampshire’s health care workforce. Earlier this year, she reintroduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the mental health workforce in the face of shortages. In May, Senator Hassan joined colleagues to introduce legislation to create a national graduate nursing education program to help increase the number of advanced practice registered nurses. Additionally, provisions from Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bill to help address the severe shortage of doctors trained in addiction medicine became law in 2022, creating 200 new medical residency positions, including for addiction medicine, at teaching hospitals in New Hampshire and across the country.

Senator Shaheen has spearheaded numerous efforts in the Senate in support of New Hampshire’s health care workforce. During negotiations surrounding the American Rescue Plan Act, Shaheen helped steer efforts to increase funding for the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to ensure hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers on the frontlines had the support they need to keep their doors open and continue to care for patients. Earlier this year, Shaheen and Congresswoman Kuster welcomed a $2,000,000 grant to New England College to help increase its capacity to educate and prepare highly trained nursing professionals. In March, Shaheen helped introduce bipartisan legislation that would help build a health care workforce in rural and medically underserved areas by allowing international doctors to stay and practice in the United States following the completion of their residency.

Original source can be found here.