Valued Voice

For hospitals and health systems seeking to expand training opportunities in high-demand occupations the time to apply for WHA-created grants is now. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has opened applications for Advanced Practice Clinician (APC) training grants, and at the same time opened an additional opportunity to apply for allied health training grants to utilize additional funding available. 
 
The “Grow Our Own” DHS training grant program benefitted from $5 million increase in funding, and registered nurse was added as an eligible profession, as part of the 2023-2025 biennial budget. WHA advocated for both of these changes to the already-successful program.

“Grow Our Own” grants, based on WHA’s 86% equation, create public private partnerships dedicated to creating and expanding clinical training opportunities for health care professions. Graduate Medical Education (GME) grants were created by WHA spearheaded legislation, 2013 Wisconsin Act 20. GME grants were so successful that in 2017 Wisconsin Act 57 created training grants modeled after the GME initiative for APC and allied health professionals. 



Through the “Grow Our Own” program the DHS has already awarded 119 grants, spurring a $65 million investment in new and expanded clinical training programs in Wisconsin, including:
 

• 29 APC grants have been awarded in the APC specialties of nurse practitioner, physician assistant and certified registered nurse anesthetist.
• 39 Allied Health grants have been awarded to create more training opportunities for in-demand professions such as certified nursing assistant, certified medical assistant, sonographer, lab professionals, surgical technician, mental health counselor, clinical social worker, psychologist, radiographer, substance abuse counselor, and, starting in 2023, registered nurse.
• 40 GME grants have been awarded for residencies and fellowships in family medicine, psychiatry, addiction medicine, general surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, dermatologic oncology, hematology and internal medicine.

Grant applications are available at the following links:

• Allied Health Training Grant – due by 11:59 p.m. April 5, 2024
• APC Training Grant - due by noon April 3, 2023

Apply now to utilize a DHS matching grant to grow your workforce! Contact WHA’s Ann Zenk with questions about “Grow Our Own” grants or other health care workforce issues.