Mountain State Times

Washington, DC – On June 12, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission will receive $225,000 from the Department of Education to support and expand the state’s nursing workforce development program. This federal funding is one of the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests Senator Manchin secured on behalf of West Virginia through the Fiscal Year 2023 funding bill.

“Our nurses work tirelessly to provide quality care for their patients and are the backbone of our healthcare system,” said Senator Manchin. “We are experiencing a nursing shortage and it is vital that we continue to ensure new nurses are entering the field with the tools and training they need to succeed, which is why I proudly secured funding to support the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission’s nursing workforce development program. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for funding, including through Congressionally Directed Spending, to strengthen our healthcare infrastructure across the Mountain State.”

This funding will support the center’s general operating expenses, as well as expand clinical scheduling and nursing pipeline grant programs. As of 2021, among Registered Nurses (RN) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) working in West Virginia, 35.2% are 51 years of age or older. With aging workforce population and staff shortages, nursing development programs are critical to the health and well-being of our communities.

The Senate Appropriations Committee allows members of Congress to submit CDS requests, which provides an opportunity for state and local governments, non-profits, and other public entities to receive targeted funding for projects that bolster their communities and directly support West Virginians. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Manchin works to ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated to priorities that benefit all West Virginians, boost economic growth and support the needs of communities across the Mountain State while remaining fiscally responsible. 

Original source can be found here.