Anticipating increasing shortages of health care workers even without health care reform, the federal government has begun handing out some funds for training of new workers and retraining of existing ones.

Maryland universities have won nine federal grants, totaling $2.3 million.

The grants are part of $159.1 million in stimulus money awarded around the nation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The money primarily will be used for nursing workforce development programs, interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students.

“We cannot build a healthier America if our country continues to face a growing health professions shortage,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. “A well-trained, educated and diverse workforce is critical to meeting future health care demands, and to reforming the nation’s health care system.”

Specific grants include:

+Advanced Education Nursing Grant for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, $378,522.00

+Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Grants for Johns Hopkins University, $75,384.00;
for the University of Maryland, School of Nursing, $224,346.00; for Salisbury State University, $13,675.00

+Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship Grant for the University of Maryland, School Of Nursing, $24,541.00

+Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant for Coppin State College, $374,340.00; and for Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, $353,177.00

+Geriatric Education Center Grant for Johns Hopkins University, $411,212.00

+Geriatric Training Programs Grant for Johns Hopkins University, $466,093.00

See state-by-state charts of the grant awards and get more information on the health professions programs.

Baltimore Sun file photo/Doug Kapustin