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News Release

HHS AWARDS MORE THAN $8.4 MILLION IN GRANTS TO ADDRESS
NATION'S NURSING SHORTAGE

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 34 grants worth more than $8.4 million to expand the nation's nursing workforce and increase diversity in the nursing profession. The grants are the latest effort to address a growing shortage of nurses across the country.

"These grants will help to ensure that America has enough qualified nurses to meet the growing demands for their services across the country," Secretary Thompson said. "Nurses make a real difference in our lives, one patient at a time. President Bush and I are committed to taking appropriate steps to address the threat to quality care posed by the nation's shortage of nurses."

The grants announced today are funded under two health professions workforce programs administered by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Basic Nurse Education and Practice grants help improve the education of the basic nursing workforce and support nurse-managed clinics to improve access to primary health care in medically underserved communities. Nursing Workforce Diversity grants increase nursing opportunities for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing student scholarships or stipends and other services.

"Grants like these help us build a better-trained and more diverse nursing workforce and fight the nursing shortage at the same time," said Elizabeth M. Duke, Ph.D., HRSA administrator.

"An investment in nursing education is an investment in the health of the nation," said American Nurses Association President Barbara Blakeney, MS, APRN, BC, ANP. "We applaud Secretary Thompson for his commitment to nursing and look forward to working together to find solutions to the growing shortage of nurses."

Studies have shown that the demand for nursing services is growing faster than the number of trained nurses, placing an increasing strain on the nation's health care system. In July, HHS released a report showing that, if recent trends were to continue unchecked, the nation's nursing shortage would continue to worsen significantly over the next two decades. In 2000, the shortage was estimated at 6 percent; by 2020, it is expected to reach 29 percent, the report said.

Early in his tenure, Secretary Thompson identified the nursing shortage as a critical national priority. In February, HHS launched a new campaign to encourage school children to consider careers in nursing and other health professions. In June, HHS awarded $30 million in grants to increase the number of qualified nurses and the quality of nursing services across the country. President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget for HHS also proposes to increase funding for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment program to a total of $15 million, nearly a 50 percent increase above the current year's funding.

Lists of grantees by program area follows:

Basic Nurse Education and Practice Grants
Institution	City	State	Award
U. of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	Little Rock	Ark.	$ 280,761
Regents of the University of California-S.F.	San Francisco	Calif.	435,839
Georgia Department of Human Resources	Atlanta	Ga.	195,910
Georgia State U. Research Foundation, Inc.	Atlanta	Ga.	180,268
Mather Life Ways	Evanston	Ill.	248,384
Eastern Kentucky University	Richmond	Ky.	214,474
University of Southern Maine	Portland	Maine	256,387
Coppin State College	Baltimore	Md.	285,984
University of Detroit-Mercy	Detroit	Mich.	312,851
Montana State University-Northern	Havre	Mont.	204,514
Regents of New Mexico State Univ.	Las Cruces	N.M.	399,039
New York University	New York	N.Y.	591,710
Oregon HSC	Portland	Ore.	180,312
Clemson University	Clemson	S.C.	177,431
University of South Carolina	Columbia	S.C.	173,881
University of Texas HSC at Houston	Houston	Texas	230,772
Incarnate Word College	San Antonio	Texas	142,681
Washington State University	Pullman	Wash.	387,950
University of Washington	Seattle	Wash.	300,770
TOTAL:			$5,199,918

Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants
Institution	City	State	Award
Tuskegee University	Tuskegee	Ala.	$227,473
Howard University	Washington	D.C.	254,749
Barry University	Miami Shores	Fla.	173,128
Valencia Community College	Orlando	Fla.	221,346
Clayton College and State University	Morrow	Ga.	265,827
Coppin State College	Baltimore	Md.	172,015
Regents of the University of Michigan	Ann Arbor	Mich.	174,460
Lester E. Cox Medical Centers	Springfield	Mo.	148,083
Montana State University	Bozeman	Mont.	283,544
Borough of Manhattan Community College	New York	N.Y.	241,824
Syracuse University	Syracuse	N.Y.	267,021
Utica College	Utica	N.Y.	306,071
Oglala Lakota College	Kyle	S.D.	221,508
Middle Tennessee State University	Murfreesboro	Tenn.	119,782
Univ. of Texas HSC-SA School of Nursing	San Antonio	Texas	179,791
TOTAL:			$3,256,622
GRAND TOTAL:			$8,456,824

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: January 16, 2003