Grant Creates ‘Innovation Fund’ to take on Health Care Workforce Shortage

Eagle Times Staff
CONCORD, NH — The Foundation for Healthy Communities has been awarded an “innovation” grant through which its HealthForce NH initiative will seek out novel solutions to the health care workforce shortage.

The grant, which provides for $1 million over five years, will create an “innovation fund” to which applicants can seek to receive funding for creative initiatives that address New Hampshire’s significant health care workforce shortage. HealthForce NH’s Senior Director, Kate Luczko, said the innovation fund aligns perfectly with HealthForce NH’s mission.

“Our mission is to promote innovative partnerships and cross-sector collaboration to grow, retain and sustain a robust health care workforce,” said Luczko. “With support from the Endowment for Health, we will seek out partners—from health care, education, business and a dynamic cross-sector of industries—and invest in them as they create unique new ways to help solve the workforce challenges facing the health care industry in New Hampshire.”

Luczko, in a later interview, expressed hope for the success of this new grant and the possibility of it being replicated in the future. She explained how one of the goals of the program is to be able to “leverage other funds” from their partners to continue the work, with help from the community.

“The easiest or most likely way that folks [in Sullivan County] could both participate and benefit is to have people from that region going to, say, submit proposals,” Luczko said. “We haven’t entirely decided what the process is going to look like to take those ideas, but to have them get involved and to have them bring forth ideas, initiatives, programs; that would benefit that county.”

The grant opportunities being announced are part of an overall effort to launch bold, innovative projects to address the state’s need for a dedicated, robust health care workforce.

“Now more than ever, we need innovative approaches to the pressing issue of the health care workforce shortage,” said Yvonne Goldsberry, president for the Endowment for Health. “Facing significant shortages in qualified health care workers, with efforts to date having had minimal impact, we absolutely must think outside-the-box. We applaud the efforts of the Foundation for Healthy Communities and HealthForce NH and look forward to seeing what high-impact strategies will come out of this initiative.”