For hospitals and health systems seeking to expand training opportunities in hard-to-fill positions, such as registered nurse, surgical tech and medical assistant, the time to apply for WHA-created grants is now. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) opened applications for Allied Health Professional (AHP) Education and Training grants on Aug. 22.
The
DHS announcement notes applications are due Oct. 9, 2023. Grants of up to $125,000 per year are available to hospitals, health systems and their partners in education. Multi-year funding can be granted, and partnership efforts can address multiple professions.
The allied health grant program is benefiting from
enhancements advocated for by WHA. The Wisconsin State Budget added $2.5 million in FY24 and $2.5 million in FY25 for allied health training grants, making a total of $6 million available over the biennium.
Not only will the increased funding provide opportunities for more hospitals and health systems to join their partners in education to grow the health care workforce, but the allied health training grants have now also been expanded to include registered nurses. And although applicants serving rural areas are given preference for allied health training grants, with $6 million in funding over the biennium, hospitals and health systems in urban and suburban areas are also encouraged to apply.
“Grow Your Own” allied health training grants were spearheaded by WHA in 2017, based on WHA’s 86% equation and the success of the GME training grants established in 2013. To date, these matching grant programs have spurred more than $56 million invested in new or expanded training programs for allied health professionals, advanced practice clinicians and physician graduate medical education residencies.
DHS has already awarded 89 total “Grow Your Own” training grants. Wisconsin has grown 149 more GME residency slots, and when that pipeline is full there will be an additional 54 physicians each year for our state. Allied health grants are creating new and expanded training programs for certified medical assistants, surgical technicians, counselors-in-training, clinical social workers, laboratorians, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and radiographers. Going forward, hospitals and health systems in education can also use these grants to increase training opportunities for registered nurses.
Grant applications are open for AHP grants at this link:
Allied Health Professional Education and Training Grant 2023, 2nd Competition – due by 11:59 p.m. central time Oct. 9, 2023.
Contact WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice
Ann Zenk if you have questions about “Grow Your Own” grants or any other health care workforce issue.