The announcement was made in conjunction with an HHS Health Workforce Roundtable convened as part of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s Health Workforce Initiative.
The awards HRSA is announcing will enhance and expand the number of nurses and primary care physicians, while increasing behavioral health support by growing the community-based workforce.
This announcement includes the following HRSA investments:
- Growing the nursing workforce for acute and long-term care: HRSA is awarding more than $19 million over four years to five schools, including two community colleges, to increase the nursing workforce practicing in acute care settings and long-term care facilities.
- Increasing the primary care physician workforce in high-need areas: HRSA is providing nearly $12 million in 2024 to three medical schools to help boost the number of primary care physicians in medically underserved rural, and tribal communities.
- Responding to the nation’s opioid crisis: HRSA is awarding more than $63 million over four years to 32 organizations to train and increase the number of peer support specialists and other community-based providers, such as community health workers, to provide mental health services and family support to children whose parents or guardians are impacted by opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders.
- Integrating mental health care in pediatric care: HRSA is providing an additional $4.6 million to existing grantees to expand their efforts to provide pediatricians mental health training and to support pediatricians in conducting tele-consultations with psychiatrists to provide real-time behavioral health support to their child and adolescent patients.