Colorado directing millions for training to increase number of healthcare workers

(The Center Square) – Colorado is awarding $18 million in grants to increase training for health care workers as it faces a predicted deficit of 3,000 physicians by 2030.

Legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Democrat Gov. Jared Polis provided the funding to 17 organizations for 23 programs throughout the state. Senate Bill 22-226 provided $61 million for programs to educate, train, recruit and retain health care workers. The appropriation was from the state's Economic Recovery and Relief Cash fund, which had federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The bill also appropriated $20 million for the practice-based training for students enrolled in accredited Colorado schools providing instruction for positions in the medical field.

Another part of the legislation provided participants in the state’s “Practiced-based Health Education Program,” to gain hands-on experience required for licensure if they were enrolled in training or residency programs in an accredited Colorado public or nonprofit medical school.

Senate Bill 24-221 , signed into law by Polis in June, provides funding for the Rural Health Care Workforce initiative. It appropriated $866,677 to the Department of Higher Education for fiscal year 2024-25 and forward funding of the amount through fiscal year 2025-26. The legislation created the Rural Hospital Cash Fund and transferred $1.7 million from the general fund on July 1.

The 2022 Colorado Talent Pipeline Report stated there were 887,865 unique job postings in the health care sector between August 2021 and 2022. Between September 2022 and 2023, there were 36,063 job openings for registered nurses in the state and 12,471 openings for medical and health services managers, according to the Colorado talent dashboard .

Earlier this week, Polis and Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, highlighted the grant program and the “Colorado Works for International Physicians” program. Graduates of international medical schools are prepared by the program to enter primary care physician residency programs with the goal of obtaining licensure to practice in the country.

"Our participants bring a wealth of experience and dedication to patient care,” Dr. Philip Fung, medical director of Colorado Works for International Physicians, said in a statement. “We are proud to support these talented individuals in their journey to becoming licensed physicians in Colorado.”

The international physicians program provides a nine-month clinical training program at Denver Health, which will be one of the 17 health care organizations receiving funds. Five of Denver Health’s programs will receive grants.

“Colorado has a tradition of attracting the best and brightest to our health care workforce, but that doesn’t just happen by accident,” Ryan said in a statement. “We need to be intentional about providing opportunities, which will ultimately serve the people of Colorado.”