Gov. Jared Polis and a bipartisan group of state lawmakers on Monday expanded the state's critical health workforce by creating capacity to train thousands of new doctors, nurses, veterinarians and other health care professionals. announced a bill aimed at addressing the shortage.
The bill would allocate about $247 million to renovate or create new facilities at four state universities, including Metropolitan State University in Denver, which aims to expand enrollment capacity for health-related programs by 25%.
The push to train more students comes as health industry experts predict a severe workforce shortage, with the U.S. needing more than 3 million health care workers over the next five years. There is.
Supporters of the bill say further increasing the state's ability to train a wide range of students in the health care industry will alleviate particularly acute needs in rural and underserved communities. Ta. Fifty-nine of Colorado's 64 counties include federally designated primary care health professional shortage areas.
“We need health care workers across the board,” Polis said at a news conference near the site of MSU Denver's future Health Research Institute tower on the Auraria campus in downtown Denver.
“This will be an upgrade for our state,” he said of these projects, noting they would be paid for through certificates of participation. A certificate of participation is a financial instrument that states use in place of bonds or other long-term debt to finance construction projects.
| MSU Denver Health Research Institute
A 10-faculty collaboration focused on health and wellness:
|
Approximately $50 million of the bill's $247 million in funding would go toward construction of MSU Denver's Health Research Institute Tower. The 70,000-square-foot facility will serve 10 health-related departments that will train students for careers in a wide range of high-demand fields, including nursing, nutrition, behavioral health, physical therapy, and social work.
“With an emphasis on an integrated, whole-person approach to health, the Institute of Health Sciences is a diverse student body that meets the needs of Colorado's Front Range and communities across the state,” said MSU Denver President Janine Davidson. It is strengthened by.” . “This project will allow MSU Denver to educate even more future health care workers and fill a critical talent gap in the state.”
In addition to MSU Denver's Health Institute Tower project, the proposed infrastructure bill would fund health education projects at two other state universities and community colleges.
- The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley is in the process of establishing a college of osteopathic medicine, making it the third medical school in the state to meet only 34.6% of its physician needs, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
- Colorado State University's Veterinary Health Education Complex in Fort Collins aims to increase CSU's veterinary student enrollment by 20 percent in an effort to alleviate a critical workforce shortage in the profession. A study by the CSU Center for Animal and Human Policy found that 70% of veterinary practices have to turn away animals every week because they can't fit them into their schedules.
- Renovations at Trinidad State University's Valley Campus in Alamosa will allow the Southern Colorado community college to expand its programs training nurses, medical technicians, dental assistants and other allied health professionals by up to 50%. Masu.
Meanwhile, MSU Denver's tower project is part of a larger effort to unite the university's Institute for Health Studies programs under one roof to best prepare students for the modern healthcare workforce. Provide state-of-the-art facilities, technology, and instruction. .
Construction is already underway at MSU Denver on a health simulation laboratory that will allow us to train more nurses and other health care professionals in a space that reflects an advanced clinical environment.
RELATED: Colorado needs health care workers. MSU Denver has plans to offer them
Colorado is among the worst-performing states for mental health and nursing, according to a 2021 analysis by human resources consulting firm Mercer. For example, the company predicts Colorado will soon have a shortage of more than 10,000 nurses, making it the third-worst situation in the country. Meanwhile, more than 2.5 million Coloradans live in areas with a shortage of behavioral health workers, according to the state Office of Health Policy and Finance.
MSU Denver's new six-story health education building will be built next to the simulation lab being constructed in the west classroom building on the Auraria campus. The estimated cost of the tower project is $65 million.
In addition to state funds to help with funding, MSU Denver is pursuing ambitious fundraising goals. The Institute for Health Research has already received millions of dollars in private donations, with more expected in the near future.
“This funding will ensure our students have access to state-of-the-art facilities where they will learn with the equipment they need to provide quality patient care for years to come,” Davidson said. Stated.
If the certificate of participation bill passes, MSU Denver could begin construction plans for a new building as early as this summer.
