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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced more than $140 million that will be distributed among 12 workforce programs across the country. A study from the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortfall of between 14,900 and 35,600 primary care physicians by 2025. The award from HRSA will fund grants related to primary care training, specifically, encouraging diversity in the primary care workforce.
As the Latino population continues to grow in the United States, there is also a growing need for qualified Latino/Hispanic healthcare workers to address this population’s needs. In addition to needing someone to communicate in Spanish, having healthcare workers that are culturally sensitive to the needs of their patients is essential to the health and welfare of our changing demographics.
“These awards will help increase access to quality health care for all Americans by educating and training culturally competent providers who are prepared to practice in high-need areas,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “By encouraging partnerships among academic institutions, clinicians, health care sites and public health entities, we can improve health outcomes in underserved communities.”
The issues of diversity and underserved communities have become emphasized in recent years with growing needs placed on achieving healthcare equity in Medicare, in preventable admissions, surgical outcomes, and more. The increasing trend of rural hospital closures also is a factor in the matter of underserved communities. The loss of hospitals often means losing primary care providers in these underserved areas.
The top three largest funding recipients were:
- Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students ($42.3 million) which helps 78 health professions schools provide scholarships to disadvantaged students to increase diversity in healthcare.
- Nurse Faculty Loan Program ($24.4 million) which provides grants to 89 nursing schools to boost the ranks of qualified nursing faculty in the U.S.
- Advance Education Nursing Traineeship ($22.9 million) which provides grants to advanced nursing programs supporting the training of advanced practice nurses and focusing on their role in primary healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
“Our vision is to positively impact every aspect of the health professional’s career, from education and training to service,” said Macrae. “These awards will increase the number of health professionals providing quality care to the nation’s most vulnerable populations.”
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By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
