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AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) – Governor Janet Mills is launching a four-pronged effort to bolster Maine’s well being care workforce. The multi-million greenback marketing campaign is the most recent funding from the Maine Jobs & Restoration Plan, which is federally funded by the American Restoration Plan.
Pushed by each a retiring workforce and an growing old inhabitants, Maine’s scarcity of well being care employees was a difficulty previous to COVID-19.
The pandemic solely made it worse.
“I can’t say sufficient how inspiring these well being care heroes are. However like different hospitals within the state, our workers is stretched skinny. It’s been all fingers on deck for 19 months,” stated Chuck Hays, President and CEO of MaineGeneral Well being & MaineGeneral Medical Heart.
On Monday, the Mills Administration introduced $14 million in new initiatives to handle the workforce scarcity.
“To make it extra inexpensive for Maine individuals to pursue well being care jobs, we plan to speculate $4 million in scholarships and scholar mortgage reduction,” Gov. Mills stated at Monday’s information convention. “To encourage present well being care employees to maneuver up the profession ladder, we are going to make investments $8.5 million to make coaching for brand spanking new expertise and new credentials cost-free.”
The opposite initiatives embody a $1.5 million advertising marketing campaign, and $600,000 to launch Maine’s Well being Care Profession Navigators, a brand new service to information these concerned with well being care to a job that’s the appropriate match.
“With these initiatives, we wish to make it simpler and extra inexpensive for individuals, particularly younger individuals, to pursue careers in well being care, transfer up the profession ladder into greater paying jobs, understanding that these jobs present a rewarding alternative to do life-saving work, and make a great wage with advantages on the similar time,” stated Gov. Mills.
Well being care executives who spoke at Monday’s press convention are optimistic these steps information Maine in the appropriate path.
“This funding offers well being care suppliers a much-needed enhance of hope,” stated Darcy Shargo, Maine Main Care Affiliation CEO.
“These are vital first steps in addressing Maine’s well being care scarcity,” stated Angela Westhoff, President and CEO of the Maine Well being Care Affiliation. “Because the pandemic continues, it’s critically vital that we work collaboratively to handle these challenges and implement quick and long run methods to recruit and retain our caregivers.”
Republican State Consultant Joshua Morris of Turner responded to Mills’ plan Monday. His assertion says:
“This plan is a partial long-term resolution at finest. My constituents are going through much less entry to well being care proper this second, and this announcement does nothing to handle that. It’s time for Governor Mills to face actuality: now we have an issue now and he or she has the power to repair it now. We have now individuals certified and able to work now, and her mandate is the one factor that stands in the best way. She must put her partisan ideology apart and get again to fascinated by the scared Mainers making an attempt to entry healthcare throughout this state.”
That reference is to the well being care employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate which the state will start imposing Friday.
Copyright 2021 WABI. All rights reserved.
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