Michigan Community College Association - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association

Groundbreaking Nursing Education Expansion Plan Will Strengthen Michigan’s Nursing Workforce

July 21, 2022July 21, 2022 Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, News Releases

Plan funded in state budget will expand Bachelor of Science in Nursing education to community college campuses

Michigan education and healthcare leaders are thanking Gov. Whitmer and legislative leaders for championing and funding an innovative plan to expand nursing education opportunities across Michigan. The $56 million initiative was included in Fiscal Year 2023 budget that was signed yesterday by Gov. Whitmer.

The collaborative plan will create seamless opportunities for nurses with associate degrees to complete their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) on community college campuses. As part of the program, community colleges will partner with a four-year college or university and design a BSN completion program with input from local employers and local workforce development agencies.

“We are excited to implement our plan to offer opportunities to earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing on Michigan’s community college campuses, in partnership with Michigan’s four-year colleges and universities,” said Brandy Johnson, Michigan Community College Association President. “This effort that will help to address Michigan’s nursing shortage wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership and advocacy of Governor Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, Speaker Jason Wentworth, and Appropriations Chairmen Jim Stamas and Thomas Albert.”

Nurses with the BSN degree are in demand at Michigan’s hospitals. By ensuring the opportunity to earn a BSN degree, this program will significantly increase the number of associate degree prepared nurses completing BSN degrees.

“Staffing shortages are impacting Michigan hospitals throughout the state, particularly in the areas of nursing,” said Brian Peters, Michigan Health & Hospital Association CEO. “This plan will help us get more highly-skilled professionals into the field quickly and increase access to nursing education in more communities across the state. We are grateful to Gov. Whitmer and our legislative leaders for making this effort a priority.”

The program will increase access and affordability of Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs for students who completed their Associate Degree in Nursing at a Michigan community college. Under the plan, funds will be administered by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and will be awarded to Michigan community colleges. Each community college will be eligible for a $2 million appropriation for administering the program, in collaboration with a four-year public university or independent college.

The plan was developed by the Michigan Community College Association, the Michigan Association of State Universities, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities, and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. It is also backed by the Michigan Works! Association.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ASSOCIATION

The Michigan Community College Association fosters collaboration, connection, and partnerships among the 28 Michigan public community colleges and their stakeholders. The MCCA provides strong legislative and public advocacy in Lansing and throughout Michigan, works to improve the image and credibility of community colleges, and advances numerous shared initiatives through the Michigan Center for Student Success, Michigan Colleges Online, and the Michigan New Jobs Training Program.

ABOUT MHA
Based in greater Lansing, the MHA advocates in Michigan and Washington, DC, on behalf of healthcare providers and the communities and patients they serve. The MHA is a nationally recognized leader on initiatives that protect and promote quality, cost-effective and accessible healthcare. To learn more, visit www.mha.org or follow the MHA on Facebook and Twitter.

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Michigan Community Colleges, Universities and Hospitals Team Up to Solve the Nursing Shortage

June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, News Releases

Leaders ask Legislature for $56 million to get more nurses in the field

Michigan higher education and healthcare leaders today unveiled a collaborative plan to increase educational options to produce more highly-qualified nurses and address the nursing shortage across the state.

“Michigan’s community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities have come together to combat the nursing shortage, creating an innovative and affordable way to earn bachelor’s degrees in nursing at 28 new locations across the state,” said Brandy Johnson, Michigan Community College Association President.

“Michigan’s public universities are pleased to have worked with our higher education partners to craft this common-sense and innovative approach to creating a more highly-skilled nursing workforce capable of fulfilling the critical role nurses play within the state’s healthcare community,” said Dr. Daniel Hurley, CEO of Michigan Association of State Universities.

It would create seamless opportunities for nurses with associate degrees to complete their Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) on community college campuses. Through this program, community colleges would partner with a four-year college or university and design a BSN completion program with input from local employers and local workforce development agencies.

“This plan ensures that Michigan nursing students have every option possible to get high-quality education and training on nearly every college, university or community college campus in this state,” said Robert LeFevre, president of Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities. “

The group is seeking a $56 million state budget investment to increase access and affordability of Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs for students who completed their Associate Degree in Nursing at a Michigan community college. Under the plan, grants would be administered by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and be awarded to Michigan community colleges. Each community college would be eligible for a $2 million grant for administering the program.

“We are proud to work in partnership with colleagues to develop an innovative strategy to strengthen Michigan’s nursing workforce by ensuring students throughout our state have access to a high-quality baccalaureate nursing education,” said Laurie Lauzon Clabo, PhD, RN, FAAN, Michigan Association of Colleges of Nursing president-elect.

This program would significantly increase the number of nurses with bachelor’s degrees that are in-demand at Michigan’s hospitals.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ASSOCIATION

ABOUT MASU

The Michigan Association of State Universities serves as the coordinating board for Michigan’s 15 public universities, providing advocacy and fostering policy to maximize the collective value these institutions provide in serving the public interest and the State of Michigan.

ABOUT MICU
Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities represent the state’s not-for-profit independent colleges and universities. Our goal is to increase awareness of the impact MICU members have on higher education in Michigan. With over 125,000 students at our institutions, Michigan independent colleges educate approximately 25 percent of all college students in the state.

MICU serves its members through government relations, public policy development and advocacy. For more information and data related to Michigan’s independent colleges and universities, please visit www.micolleges.org.

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Newly Formed Healthcare, Education Alliance Calls for Historic Investment in Staffing and Talent Development

November 4, 2021October 28, 2022 News Releases, Member News, Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare

Michigan leaders advocate for a $650 million supplemental to support medical services, workforce pipeline

A newly formed coalition – the Healthcare Workforce Sustainability Alliance – has released a plan more than 19 months into the pandemic calling upon Michigan’s elected officials to address the emerging crisis of a shortage of healthcare workers to provide lifesaving medical care.

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association (MHA) in collaboration with the Health Care Association of Michigan (HCAM), Michigan Association of Ambulance Services (MAAS), Michigan Community College Association (MCCA), and American Nurses Association of Michigan (ANA-MI) are advocating for a $650 million investment to support staffing needs in hospitals, nursing facilities, and emergency medical services and workforce training programs to grow the healthcare talent pipeline.

“Michigan healthcare workers are the essential responders to the COVID-19 pandemic and, unfortunately, the healthcare staffing shortage that existed pre-pandemic has become significantly worse in recent months,” said Brian Peters, CEO of the MHA. “Staffing at our hospitals is absolutely a crisis. With the support of our partners in the healthcare and education sectors, we are pleading with our Legislature to fund a future for the healthcare workforce that will help ensure lifesaving services are able to continue across our state.”

The Healthcare Workforce Sustainability Alliance is calling upon the Michigan Legislature to pass a $650 million supplemental to recruit and retain healthcare workers and a scholarship program to establish a workforce pipeline. The proposed Healthcare Worker Payments would be directed to healthcare front-line workers and health facility employees.

“The shortage of Michigan EMS heroes is getting worse by the day, and we desperately need more paramedics and EMTs in the field,” said Angela Madden, executive director of the Michigan Association of Ambulance Services. “The lack of training options has become a crisis for EMS and we’re proud to work with our fellow healthcare partners to help get more workers into healthcare fields quickly.”

The Future Healthcare Worker Scholarship Program would be designed to provide two years of scholarships to individuals pursuing a degree in a clinical healthcare field. The Future Healthcare Worker Scholarship Program would provide payments at qualifying institutions. Based upon estimates of eligible Michigan residents, grant amounts and years in the program, it is estimated that as many as 25,000 students would qualify for and could take advantage of the Future Healthcare Worker Scholarship Program.

“The state of our healthcare system has a direct impact on the health of our future. We need lifesaving care and transport, which means we need people able to provide those services,” said Michael Hansen, president of the MCCA. “Establishing a pipeline for these jobs by incentivizing students to go into and afford these careers is absolutely necessary to ensuring our communities stay healthy and appropriately staffed.”

Michigan hospitals have reached new record-high occupancy rates, requiring staff scheduling and capacity adjustments several times daily to preserve patient care standards. For many healthcare facilities, vacancy rates are 20% or more of their workforce. Patients experience delays of sometimes several days waiting for transport between a hospital and a nursing home, inpatient psychiatric hospital or rehabilitation facility due to the shortage of qualified paramedics. Some hospitals must regularly divert ambulances away from their emergency departments, which delays emergent care, especially in Michigan’s many rural areas.

“Working in long-term care is a calling, a fulfilling career that gives people a purpose,” said Melissa Samuel, president and CEO of HCAM. “Caregivers who have served on the front lines of a health crisis the world has not experienced in 100 years need and deserve our support. The pandemic has made an expected shortage of healthcare workers happen sooner and to a much worse degree. New admissions to skilled nursing facilities are being limited or halted because providers are taking a proactive measure to focus their care on current residents. We must address this workforce crisis to ensure our seniors have access to the care they need.”

Healthcare workforce staffing shortages existed prior to COVID-19 but have worsened and are expected to persist beyond the pandemic. Michigan must address both the short- and the long-term workforce crisis that is driving this problem before it forces even more difficult healthcare decisions. Contrary to the early support shown to healthcare workers in the beginning months of the pandemic, a 2021 survey has found that 34% of nurses reported experiencing workplace violence, which can lead to higher rates of burnout.

More detail about the Healthcare Workforce Sustainability Alliance’s $650 million plan will be available at www.mha.org as the group continues to work with policymakers.