The debate in Washington continues to rage with regards to President Obama's Proposal for Healthcare Reform. Although the sides remain divided, there is a strong push toward accepting the proposal now without further debate. Clearly this is a hot button issue that affects every American, but the impact of healthcare reform is substantial for the healthcare professional.

President Obama's plan deals heavily with the idea that middle-income earners who would normally not qualify for health care should receive benefits they can afford. He proposes a middle class tax cut that will allow those who could not afford health care premiums to obtain care. His proposal will also assist those who have small businesses, as it is often small businesses owners who forgo even the most basic of health care. In a country like the United States, those without health care often become seriously ill or even die because they cannot afford the cost of a doctor's visit.

Based on President Obama's plan, once these individuals have access to good health care, the medical community will need to be staffed adequately to provide that care. The Act will add more primary care providers across the Country, focusing on those areas where assistance is underprovided right now.

A specific focus of the Healthcare Reform Plan is on the current and projected nursing shortage. A huge problem for the United States, the medical community is bracing for a nursing shortage as the baby boomers begin their retirement. The current intake into US based nursing programs is not meeting the demand in medical care facilities. The Act will increase the amount of nurses in the United States, and assist in nurse retention by eliminating financial barriers that are preventing both registered nurses and nurse faculty from achieving their goals. In addition, the Act puts into place grants for nursing schools to both improve and retain nurses. Student loans will be increased, as will a nurse's eligibility for scholarships and loan repayments if they choose to become faculty.

President Obama's plan goes beyond the increased support of nurses in the United States. At the most basic level, the Act will assist students in public school programs to prepare for careers in health and medical. According to the plan, if health professionals support health sciences in the schools, it is far more likely that these students will enroll in post secondary medical programs such as nursing.

The President's Healthcare Reform Proposal is said to put the individual in the driver's seat as far as their health care options. As President Obama recently stated, "We have debated health care in Washington for more than a year. When's the right time? If not now, when? If not us, who?" Although there are challenges to passing such an Act, the issues of providing medical care to all who need it as well as the added benefit of combating the growing nursing shortage will far outweigh any detriments that may arise to changing the system.

Labels: Government, Health Insurance, Healthcare, Nurse Internship, Nursing Career, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Scholarships, Nursing School, Obama, Universal Healthcare

The one thing that most people count on when entering a hospital is that there are going to be nurses to take care of them. Yes, we do see a doctor when we are there, but doctors come and go intermittently. Nurses are the people we rely on. They check us into the hospital, take our vitals, and ensure we are comfortable while we are there. Imagine walking into a hospital and discovering that there are only 2 nurses for an entire floor. This is a reality that the nursing community is preparing for, as the predicted nursing shortage is looming whether the USA is prepared or not.

There are many factors that have caused alarm within the nursing profession and have resulted in the prediction of a massive shortage of nurses by the year 2020. Nursing enrollment in Universities is not growing fast enough, and there is a severe shortage of faculty to teach those already enrolled. As learning institutions require an adequate nursing degree teaching staff to be in place prior to accepting students for enrollment, there has been a lower acceptance rate for those applying.

Nursing has maintained it's popularity as a career since the 1950's, but there has a been a decline over the years from the height of the baby boomers entrance into the profession. As these individuals grow older and move into retirement, there are fewer younger nurses to fill their shoes. Without a steady influx of students into the schools, the numbers of nurses leaving the profession cannot balance out with the number of students entering. As well, the nurses who are currently working in the profession have a high rate of burnout, which results in them leaving earlier than retirement ages.

The bottom line is that a lower nurse to patient ratio means that more people will be inadequately cared for and perhaps even die in emergency situations. The main strategies that are being put into place focus on education. The recently introduced NEED Act for example, will access Capital Grants to expand nursing school faulty and enrollment. Nursing schools are seeking partnerships with private sector companies in order to boost funds to create enrollment and offset the costs of running the programs. On a statewide level, Governments are looking for private sector funds to match the amount that the state can invest in nursing programs. A Nursing Education Capacity Summit took place in February of 2009, and health leaders from 47 states came together to rewrite policy on nursing education, retaining faculty, and curriculum.

It is truly frightening to think of what could possibly happen within our health care system if the current policy makers and educational institutions cannot come up with ways to combat the rising nursing shortage. Nurses are the backbone of our health care system, and without an adequate number of them in hospitals, care homes, and public health units, our growing population will suffer.

Labels: Healthcare, Nurse Educator, Nursing Career, Nursing Jobs, Nursing Shortage, Recruit Nurses

No matter what you think of healthcare reform and whether you back President Obama's plan, one thing is for certain: The introduction of a new healthcare bill has brought the entire US medical system to the forefront of the media in a way that it has never been before. In light of such a drastic change, the medical profession has found their voices and has stepped up to be heard. No one is more willing to accept change than US nurses, and there are many issues on the radar for RN's in the next year.

Until recently, there has never been change in Washington that so directly affected a profession as the new healthcare reform bill will affect nurses. Politics and the nursing profession will go hand and hand in 2010, as many realize that they can affect change for citizens in their communities. Nurses will begin speaking out to their members of Congress and participating in debates as the voice of experience.

In addition, the health care reform has brought to light the need for nurses to be ready to deal with the thousands of individuals who never previously had health care. Nurses will no longer be on the sidelines; they will play a broad leadership role in developing new types of health care and promoting prevention within local communities.

Even with the success of accredited online nursing programs to train nurses, staffing will be a major issue in 2010. As the economy continues to recover, the need for nurses will grow but the amount of actual registered nurses will decrease as many leave the profession once their own economic situation stabilizes. The US has been looming on the cusp of a nursing shortage for many years, and with the baby boomers preparing to retire, the focus will continue to remain on massive hiring. It will be difficult to keep up with the demand for new recruits.

The entire model of how nurses perform their job must change, and the focus will be on organizing specific tasks and attempting to reprioritize so that nurses are not torn between many different tasks at once. New students who have recently taken the RN career path will be the leaders in new and innovative change to both quality and safety in the profession.

For those entering educational institutions to pursue nursing, the current employment situation is one of good prospects. Most students are able to secure employment immediately, although some have predicted that the application process will drop slightly as finding a job becomes more difficult. The desire for more academic faculty in Universities is a growing concern, as an influx of students requiring teachers will become a prominent concern.

The economic crisis and health care reform has caused true concern and the desire for change within the nursing profession in 2010. As more nurses stand up and make their voices heard with regard to the politics of health care, they are positioning the profession and the country on the path to a strong future.

Labels: Healthcare, Nursing Shortage, Obama, Online Nursing Programs, Universal Healthcare

The USA is considered by many to be the greatest country in the world. Because of that label, it is baffling to many how there are hundreds of thousands of people that are not insured or without access to health care because they simply cannot afford it. If you cannot afford group care insurance or if you do not have a job, becoming ill or sick can have a devastating effect on your life. Simple tests and procedures can rack up bills into the tens of thousands of dollars, and if you need surgery? You may just end up with a lifetime of debt for one week in the hospital. Countries such as Canada have nation-wide mandatory health care, and if President Obama has his way, so will the USA.

Healthcare reform is a hot topic right now, and it is a central issue that President Obama is focusing on. Change is needed, as private health insurance is expensive, and people are turned away due to lack of funds. Many young people don't believe in the need for health care, so they don't sign up for private options when presented to them. Obama proposed a public option that would ensure that every American has access to health care. As with any great change, the proposal has been met with great resistance.

Universal health care means that everyone will have to pay his or her fair share. Government subsidies will exist for those who are low income, but middle-income earners will make too much money to take advantage, and could see a significant chunk taken out of their pocket book to cover health care. Older citizens are concerned that it will interfere with their Medicare, as with each new system change, obvious changes need to be made to the way things are currently running. Yet another objection is that some people really like their private health care options, and don't want to lose it to public options that may not meet their needs. As well, many, many Americans distrust the Government, as the track record has shown past issues with Medicare and the US Postal Service.

This issue really comes down to money. Businesses, both big and small, will have to find a plan that fits within their budget. Doctors and nurses are weighing in that they are not interested in the new plan and up to 45% say they may take early retirement if the new system comes into place. A doctor shortage would greatly influence the current nursing shortage, as nurses need to step in already when there is a shortage of physicians. With so many people against global health care, can the system as Obama proposed really work?

Despite objections, the USA may be in for the biggest health care overhaul in 4 decades. The Health Care Reform Bill was passed by the House of Representatives, and is currently going to the Senate for another vote. Although some say that it will never see the light of day after the Senate, the passing through the House of Representatives at a margin of 220 to 215 indicates that the naysayers may have to eat their words.

Change is a scary thing, especially when it pertains to our health. Unfortunately, without change we continue to be stuck with the same issues that we've dealt with year after year. Time can only tell what scope the new Health Care Reform Bill will have on the USA.

Labels: Government, Health Insurance, Healthcare, Medicare, Obama, Public Option, Stimulus, Universal Healthcare

The word Swine Flu, or H1N1: Mention the name and you will strike fear in the hearts of people around the world. More frightening to some than the worldwide recession, H1N1 is known to be quick to spread, is extremely contagious, and on occasion, deadly in otherwise healthy individuals. In the midst of vaccines being distributed and panic over a vaccination shortage, many are asking themselves whether or not they should get the shot at all. One thing is for certain; it's difficult to find straight answers unless you look in the right places.

If there is a flu shot available each year, why is the H1N1 vaccine so controversial? For one, the regular flu is not considered to be a pandemic. Although thousands of people are said to die from the regular strains of flu each year, there are many more dying from H1N1. When an illness strikes the general public as hard as this one has, controversy and speculation run rampant.

Vaccinations are a hot subject to begin with, but few have met with the resistance that has the H1N1 vaccine has. Medical experts state that it is similar to the regular flu shot in that it was created the same way, but it has come under fire due to the quick production of vaccine. Conspiracy theories have run rampant, and if you look Swine Flu Vaccines up on the Internet you will find people discussing outlandish tales as to how the government is trying to kill off the weak and those with medical conditions in order to ramp up for the new health care programs. Misinformation has bred hysteria.

One of the reasons that there is such a level of anxiousness with regard to this vaccine is that until H1N1, the Government has always charged the general public for a regular flu shot. Due to the spread and higher rate of complications, this vaccine is offered for free. Yet another reason is that the elderly have always been the focus on the flu shot, whereas the H1N1 vaccine is being given to the young as a high priority group.

Is this vaccine for you? The Government is urging people, especially those in high-risk categories, to get the vaccination. There are many though, who are passing this vaccine by in favor of taking their chances with the disease. To make an informed decision, you must do your own research. Visit reputable web sites, not blogs or sites posting people's opinions. Sites such as the Mayo clinic and your local Public Health portals will give you the most up to date and accurate information. Ask your doctor or registered nurse for advice. Up until recently, some doctors were on the fence as to whether the shot was necessary. As the vaccine has become available, most are urging their patients to get the shot.

The bottom line is this: Young, healthy people have died from H1N1. Not all of these people, children included, have had underlying conditions that would make them susceptible. It is difficult to know how hard H1N1 will hit you, as the majority of cases have been mild. Only you can make the decision as to which risk is greater: the Vaccination or the Swine Flu itself?

Labels: Flu, H1N1, Healthcare, Healthcare Advocate, In the Hospital, Nursing Career, Patient Advocate, Vaccine

Healthcare in modern times can be confusing even for those trained in the medical field. To this end, Betty Long founded the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates, in order to provide support to patients in need of a knowledgeable nurse to explain insurance claims and provide information about better treatments.

Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates assist their communities with health care plans and the health care system. Advocates are available to patients of all ages and races, regardless of the patient's condition. These advocates do their part to help those who need help most find affordable care, great resources and good insurance.

The Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates was founded in 2003 by Betty Long, RN, MHA. A few months later, her advocacy grew with the addition of three nurses assisting ten clients. This group was tested in 2005 by 7,500 police officers with a pilot program through Law Enforcement Health Benefits in order to determine the effect of nursing advocacy on health care costs.

Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates were publicized in 2006 by their inclusion in the Pennsylvania Small Business Centers' Client Exposition entitled, We Mean Business, applauded as one of Pennsylvania's best small businesses. The same year, the Law Enforcement Health Benefits group expanded their relationship with the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates as a result of almost two million dollars in claims' savings during the pilot program.

Since 2006, a number of Pennsylvania based businesses and unions have signed on to take advantage of the know-how provided by Betty Long's advocacy group. Guardian Nurses has become a certified Women's Business Enterprise. Long herself has been praised for her good deeds and effective business management, nominated for Small Business Association's annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award and honored by Glamour Magazine and Tag Heuer North America for her good works in the community.

Patient advocates sit in on doctor's appointments, and can help confused patients sift through the medical jargon and insurance lingo to find the best course of treatment. Most of these patient advocates are former nurses and health care workers. Former nurses and health care workers are perfect applicants for patient advocacy positions, with the experience needed to understand physician instructions and help figure out insurance claims.

Because of their health care experience and nursing degrees, the patient advocates working with the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates often have resources not available to members of the lay community. With connections to insurance companies and knowledge of nearby specialists, the Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates can provide information and more that can't be found anywhere else.

Patient advocacy is not a new concept. More and more people every year look to patient advocates for more ease in health care. Because of groups like Guardian Nurses and the complexity of the medical field in modern America, patient advocacy continues to develop. Advocates aid in the paperwork side of recuperation, helping their patients get better faster and easier.

Labels: Healthcare, Healthcare Advocate, Patient Advocate

During his campaign for office, President Obama made a strong speech to the American Nurses Association pushing for changes in United States health care infrastructure.

In June of 2008, Senator Barack Obama included the American Nurses Association as one of the major stops on his campaign trail. At the time, not the decided candidate for Democratic President nominee, Obama spoke with Rebecca Patton, the president of the American Nurses Association.

During this speech to the ANA, Obama addressed his health care experience, thanking the Illinois branch of the American Nurses Association for their work together during his time as a senator. As Chair of the health care committee, one of Obama's biggest roles was working to create an affordable health care plan for his constituents, a goal he still has today and has been working towards with his health care reforms.

During his time as the Chair of the health care committee, Obama shadowed a nurse during her daily rounds and got a personal look at America's health care. With 47 million Americans lacking health care insurance, as a result of lobbyists and drug companies pushing their own agendas over the needs of United States citizens.

The Senator criticized current health care plans and proposed alterations, stating that McCain's plan was basically the same as the plan in effective during the Bush administration. These health care plans do little to help the average American, rewarding wealth and affluence with health, while those without the means to buy a health care plan go without care.

Obama then described then-Senator Clinton and his plan - the Democratic view of health care. Both politicians hoped to create a plan that extended service to all that need it, not just to those that can afford it. The Senator referred to his proposal as a "health care plan," not a "disease care plan." One of the main aspects of this plan, that would allow Obama to increase insurance coverage would be assisting employers responsible for providing insurance by reducing premiums. This would help relieve the strain on nursing by putting a plan into effect that doesn’t increase workload untowardly.

Further than preventative health care services, Obama stated plans to pay nurses accordingly. By paying nursing professors better, the Senator believes that more nurses will pursue nursing careers and participate in specialized online nursing programs. In addition, Obama hopes to offset the costs of tuition and education by $4,000, preventing nurses in need from going into debt, and by providing full ride scholarships to nurses working in underserved hospitals.

Obama addressed the nursing shortage, praising the hard-working nurses who do more than their fair share in order to support their patients. However, he derided the industry for creating an inefficient work environment, incapable of providing adequate care to patients. In order to fix the problem, Obama hopes to monitor nurse-patient ratios by implementing health information technology that not only protects and provides for patients, but that streamlines the administrative process. He also proposed instituting a limit on overtime.

These changes in the nursing profession would make great strides towards increased retention and recruitment to the health care industry by improving work environments, increasing the job satisfaction of nurses already working, and drawing new nurses into the field.

Labels: American Nurses Association, Healthcare, Obama

One of the biggest problems facing healthcare today is the nursing shortage. There are at least 100,000 nursing vacancies across the country, but 500,000 registered nurses aren't working in their field due to dissatisfaction and a number of other causes. Combined with aging baby boomers who will need assistance in the coming years, America simply doesn't have the healthcare infrastructure to support the demand.

The Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence is doing their part to help right the shortage. The primary goal of the Jonas Center is to increase nursing recruitment and retention in New York City hospitals, but they hope to expand the limits of their philanthropy. The Center is funded in part by the Barbara and Donald Jonas Family Fund.

The Jonas Center aspires to reward and promote effective nursing programs and leadership. By signing grants to and acknowledging hospitals that meet and exceed the expectations of the center, the group hopes to decrease nursing vacancies and improve the diversity among nurses. Though the Jonas Center focuses on New York City, they recognize hospitals elsewhere as well.

One of the most important aspects of the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence's nursing recruitment and retention programs is their intermediary function. Representatives of the Jonas Center help to facilitate discussion between nurses, healthcare workers, lobbyists and business owners. These discussions can greatly improve nursing conditions by raising awareness of problems in the workplace and drawing attention to funding concerns. Furthermore, by involving lobbyists and policy makers, the Jonas Center helps to bring small scale changes to the national level.

Another impact of the Jonas Center is their work with grant-makers. Many fully-deserving hospitals and nursing programs miss out on excellent opportunities for funding because of simple ignorance. The Jonas Center fosters relationships between hospitals and the academic world, which helps to bring changes where they need to be brought. This connects the hospital directly with grant benefactors, greatly increasing their chances of getting the funds they need.

Furthermore, the Jonas Center brings even more grants to the market by encouraging donors to create grants for hospitals. By interacting with numerous philanthropic groups and donors, the Jonas Center is making it easier than ever for hospitals to find the funding they've lacked over the years.

The Jonas Center works personally with nursing leaders to improve conditions both in the workplace and in the entire hospital as well. The Center supports and provides leadership that works toward the betterment of everyone involved in New York City healthcare. By presenting the findings from these changes to medical journals and practices, the Jonas Center is creating a working healthcare model, an example to hospitals across the country.

This year, the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence gave four grants to institutions that met the standards for their Jonas Nursing Scholars program. The entire program is awarding $2.5 million to deserving nursing schools. The Columbia University School of Nursing was one of the beneficiaries.

Labels: Healthcare, Nursing Career, Nursing Shortage, Stimulus

America's health care shortage extends into every level of its hospitals, from nurses to gift shop volunteers. This shortage can cause huge problems in effective coverage for United States citizens. However, statisticians believe that increasing the number of nurses per hospital will improve health care quality for everyone.

The highest level of the health care shortage is in primary care doctors. Though the federal government has been pushing for increased primary care physician presence, their efforts have failed. Primary care physicians have been decreasing faster and faster every year since the 1970s.

Many hospitals have found the solution for the lack of primary care physicians: nurses. Nurses, and especially those with advanced training like nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, provide much of the same care as doctors, at lower price and with less education, as reported by the Yale Journal on Regulation.

Both the lay community and members of the health care sector are attributing major hospital mortality problems to the nursing shortage. In a 2005 edition of Nursing Economic$, researchers found that more than half of registered nurses and CNOs (Chief Nursing Officers) think that reduced staffing is causing a decrease in the quality of care in hospitals and other health care centers. Over 90% of registered nurses complained about overstaffing causing poor patient care. On the other hand, 40% of American citizens have criticized the health care sector, claiming that between 1999 and 2004, quality of hospital care has sunk, citing stress, understaffing and lessened individual care as major factors in the condition of health care.

A study by The New England Journal of Medicine in 2002 tested the hypothesis that low nurse staffing levels will increase the number of deaths and complications in patients. After examining almost 800 hospitals in eleven states, the research team concluded that higher numbers of nursing care hours shortened the day, reduced risk of infection, pneumonia, heart attack and 'failure to rescue.' Additionally, surgical patients who saw their nurses more regularly had decreased urinary tract infections and increased rates of success after surgery. Overall, the study proved that increasing coverage of patients by upping the number of nurses on staff will lead to better health care in hospital patients.

A further study in Health Services Research and the Journal of Nursing Administration went on to study the effects of education on mortality rates. The research teams found that hospitals that staff nurses who graduated from baccalaureate programs had lower rates of mortality and 'failure to rescue' than did hospitals who staffed nurses with a lower level of education.

The study of mortalities as a consequence of the nursing shortage has been the most frightening of all. In 2002, the Journal of the American Medical Association came forward with research on the benefits of increasing nursing staff. Thousands of lives would be saved a year by simple changes in hiring. At the University of Pennsylvania, where the research was conducted, the team found that a hospital with a low ratio of nurses to patients, patients are almost a third more likely to die than in hospitals that are adequately staffed. Every patient added to a nurse's daily workload in the surgery ward increases the chance of death by 7%.

Labels: Career Profiles, Healthcare, Nursing Career, Nursing Jobs, Nursing School, Recruit Nurses

As one of the few remaining United States industries with any growth, the health care sector is becoming an attractive option for American workers. With more gainful employees being fired by the day, these workers are looking to the future for other opportunities.

While America has been laying off its workers, hospitals have been hiring them. Today's vacancy rate of 16% reflects the constant shortage of American nurses in hospitals.3% as noted by the American Health Care Association in 2008, is the worst reported since the sixties. This shortage, according to Health Affairs, a policy journal, started about a decade ago in 1998 and peaked in 2001 with an average vacancy rate of 13%. This shortage can only increase in the upcoming years, as older generations require medical care that cannot be provided by current hospitals.

The nursing shortage itself has been driving nurses out of the workforce. Dissatisfaction with long hours and understaffing has caused many nurses to look into alternate employment opportunities. This has exacerbated the problem even further, as the nurses that make it through crowded nursing schools don't necessarily enter hospitals after graduation.

Lay offs and cut backs are sending these nurses back to hospitals. Most nurses think of hospitals as being recession-proof due to the need for the procession, keeping the workers in the industry. Sadly, the recession may be responsible for the filling in of the nursing shortage in the short term, since nurses of retirement age are forced to continue working in order to provide income and health benefits for their families. Long term effects will doubtlessly show a shortage increase again when these nurses are finally able to resign.

Researchers are finding that the nursing shortage has decreased slightly, as nurses reenter the workforce, and current nurses work more hours to increase pay and work for years rather than retiring, due to spouse's lost job and a lack of health insurance. This could actually conclude the nursing shortage in some parts of the United States, as small towns and rural areas are hardest hit by the shortage.

A little less than a quarter of a billion nurses joined the health care workforce in the last year, which represents a greater jump than any other in the last twenty years, says Health Affairs. For example, Truman Medical Centers has seen a 13% drop in vacancy rates from 20% to 7% in the last year alone. Using techniques that maximize recruitment and retention, such as funding for continuing education and online nursing degree programs, can be a deciding factor in the success of a hospital.

The recession favors older nurses over young nurses, which can be disappointing for new graduates. Though positions in hospitals are open, many administrators prefer experienced workers, and will wait to hire a nurse reentering the field, rather than a new nurse on his or her first assignment. These hires will eventually find placements, but the process may take longer than they had originally expected based on the economic climate.

The majority of nurses hired in the last year are already approaching retirement age, with only a third between 21 and 34. Recruitment in other countries will help bridge the nursing gap in the short run. Almost twice as many nurses are foreign born today compared to the numbers from twenty years ago, and 10% of these foreign born nurses moved to the United States in the years since the shortage peaked.

Labels: Healthcare, Nursing Career, Nursing Shortage, Online Nursing Degree

As the health care industry grows, due to the aging of the baby boomers, funding has been proposed in order to decrease the effect of healthcare worker and nursing shortages. The United States Labor Secretary, Hilda Stolis, has declared the government's plans to release 220 million dollars of federal stimulus funds to training programs for workers in the medical industry.

The Labor Secretary revealed plans to stimulate the economy with the bill's funds while touring the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas and the Shawnee County Community Health Care Clinic in Topeka. These medical centers represent one of the areas hardest hit by the nursing and healthcare worker shortage, as rural areas have difficulty recruiting and retaining workers.

Economists often consider the medical industry recession-proof. There will always be a need for nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers; healthcare is not a luxury that can be put aside in hard times. With baby boomers aging and needing further medical care, the need for these workers will only increase and even with the increased acceptance of online nursing degree programs, the industry still needs help. The Labor Department aims to take advantage of this medical necessity by providing unlucky workers with a chance to start over in a field that is both lucrative and necessary.

While viewing the Kansas medical centers that will be among those improved by the funds from the healthcare training stimulus bill, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis routinely referred to President Barack Obama's planned healthcare reform bill, that he hopes to make through Congress this summer. This healthcare training fund is a forerunner to those that will follow the President's bill.

Healthcare reforms bills are particularly important in these difficult to staff rural areas. Training healthcare workers provides an ample job market for the unemployed, and will also help areas like Detroit that have been hard hit due to the changes in the auto industry. More than ten percent of the funds have been earmarked for areas suffering from unemployment as a consequence of auto industry restructuring.

The remainder of the money will to go fund groups that train nurses, workers in medical informatics, allied health careers and hospice care, in both the public and private sectors. More than half of the bill will be used for healthcare projects, with the remainder put towards medical technology and other miscellaneous items. The Labor Department hopes that private donors and foundations will attempt to meet and exceed the funds provided by the stimulus bill, bringing even more money towards health care training programs.

The Labor Department hopes to begin dispersing funds to worthy applicants in the next couple months, with further grants passed out by the end of 2009. Hospitals and departments with training programs already in effect can apply for funds from this stimulus bill through the Labor Department. There is an emphasis on currently effective training programs, so groups that are active now stand a better chance of being selected for stimulus funds than those started after the stimulus was put into effect.

Labels: Funding, Government, Healthcare, Obama, Stimulus