SoutheastHEALTH Receives Rural Healthcare Training & Retraining Initiative Grant
The Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences has received a nearly $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for the SoutheastHEALTH Rural Healthcare Training & Retraining Initiative. The five-year, $1,394,535 grant will allow College of Nursing and Health Sciences representatives to work with unemployment offices, county health departments, healthcare providers and high school students in 29 Missouri counties, 13 of which are identified as Persistent Poverty counties. The project includes
• Developing core-competency programs for high school juniors and seniors and unemployed or dislocated works to prepare them for immediate job entry into the healthcare industry as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Technician, transcription, housekeeping, food service or similar occupation within this largely rural Missouri and Missouri Ozark workforce.
• Providing last-dollar, need-based financial support to incentivize potential workers to enter into an Associate of Science, Associate in Applied Science, Bachelor of Science or RN program that leads to credentialing and entry into the healthcare workforce.
• Providing regional on-site staff refresher training that will result in regionally-recognized certificates in fields such as Infection Control, Healthcare Regulations, Long-term Care, Human Resources and Electronic Healthcare Records.
• Enabling healthcare professionals such as nurses, certified nurse assistants and diagnostic technologists to apply for and complete nationally-recognized certifications to upgrade credentials, leading to career advancement in areas such as Wound Care Certification, Infection Control Certification and the like.
The cost of such credentialing is often financially out of reach or not covered by the employer. Counties included in the grant are Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Stoddard, Texas, Washington, Wayne and Wright. Unemployment in these counties ranges from a low (2.9 percent) in Perry County to a high (6.1 percent) in Pemiscot. “This project will result in an increased pipeline of workers, at all career stages, into the healthcare industry, help current healthcare professionals advance their careers and increase the quality of care within the rural Missouri and Missouri Ozark region,” said College President Steven Langdon. This program is financed in whole (100%) with Federal funding through an award made by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration in the amount of $1,394,535. This program is not financed by non-governmental sources.