How Grant Funding is Responding to the Healthcare Worker Shortage by diversifying the workforce.
By Amber Walker, Grants Development Associate (Healthcare)
In the area of diversifying healthcare workforce development, many multi-pronged grant funding opportunities have been developed. The Department of Health and Human Services is leading the way. One program, the HHS Health Workforce Initiative is aimed to support, strengthen, and grow the health workforce by leveraging programs across the Department, including through the $2.7 billion workforce investment proposed in the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. This Initiative is focused on investments to support physicians, nurses, dentists, behavioral health care providers, community health workers, peer support specialists, and many others who dedicate their careers to improving the nation’s health and well-being. This is accomplished through loan repayment, scholarships, and residency training.
One federal program designed to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health outcomes for underserved racial and ethnic populations is the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP)- which celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2023. The MFP is a federal opportunity meant to develop a behavioral health professional workforce that is culturally competent and reflective of the population it serves.
Another federal initiative that was recently developed is the Public Health AmeriCorps. This program addresses the public health needs of our nation by advancing more equitable health outcomes for underserved communities and gaining onsite experience for future careers in public health. Public Health AmeriCorps aims to recruit members who reflect the communities in which they serve.
Many federal and private foundation opportunities explicitly fund programs to increase a workforce that is diverse and inclusive. In addition to those, many more opportunities include diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) as a funding priority, a focus area, or given special consideration when making award decisions. Private foundations such as the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation are centering DEI efforts on their award recipients.
If your organization is interested in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in your company culture and reflection in your workforce, the above-discussed funding programs are a great starting point. These programs are just a small fraction of a grants landscape that has identified our healthcare workforce inclusivity as a top funding priority.
Additional healthcare funding resources:
- Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA)
- Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- gov (search for national private foundations for programs that align with your service delivery priority and objectives