Matsui Announces $5 Million for Local Health Workforce Training Programs at Consumnes River College Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 18, 2010

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(916) 498-5600/ (202) 302-3249

CA Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D Sacramento) officially announced the release of a grant award totaling $4,988,561 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) to train additional health-care workers. Rep. Matsui was joined by representatives from the LRCCD, Sutter Health, BloodSource, the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency, and the U.C. Davis Medical Center at the press conference today at Consumnes River College in South Sacramento.

The Los Rios Community College District continues to shine as a resource for Sacramentans to engage in and accelerate emerging industries in our region, said Rep. Matsui. With the creation of a high-quality institute here in Sacramento to train registered nurses and health care workers, our community will see enormous benefits as we address the critical shortage of well-trained, qualified nurses and bolster regional job growth. From health care to clean energy, Recovery Act grants continue to reinforce Sacramento's strength in cutting-edge techniques while supporting our region's hard-working men and women.

A highly competitive grant administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, this funding will provide Los Rios the opportunity to expand medical training programs through the establishment of a HealthForce Institute. Rep. Matsui further supported this funding with a written letter of support to the Labor Department last year. More than 700 applications for this Recovery Act funding were received, and Los Rios's proposal was one of less than 60 applications to receive funding.

With the additional aid from today's funding, the Los Rios Community College District will move forward with its plans for a HealthForce Institute to create Sacramento's health workforce of the future. The training institute will expand on existing nurse education programs to provide both beginner students, as well as incumbent workers, the opportunity to enhance their career potential and train in cutting-edge and high demand fields such as bloodbanking, medical and surgical acute care, critical care, infusion nursing, and more. Through partnerships with existing Sacramento health-care providers, many HealthForce Institute graduates will transition directly into their chosen professional field of practice.

This grant will open up opportunities for entry and advancement in health care for our region's students and workers, while also addressing critical workforce shortages in health care, said Los Rios Community College Vice Chancellor Sandra S. Kirschenmann. The impact of these Recovery Act funds will be tremendous in terms of job training and job creation, and for many--a good 750 individuals--the results will be nothing short of life-changing.

As many industries experience lay-offs and job losses, the health-care industry remains a critical driver for growth in the Sacramento region. Employment growth in the health-care sector will be driven by significant increases in demand for health care and assistance because of an aging population and longer life expectancies. Additionally, the Sacramento community as a whole will benefit as projected retirements for current health care workers necessitate a pipeline of skilled individuals to replace aging and retiring nurses.

This funding will help prepare hundreds of students to work in the rapidly growing fields of healthcare, said Los Rios Chancellor Brice Harris. We are proud to be part of a national effort to put communities back to work and in good paying jobs.

Click here for a copy of the slideshow presented during today's event.

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