Governor Announces New Program to Expand Health Care Workforce

Photo: Tim King

(Salem) - As part of his efforts to expand access to healthcare for all Oregonians, Governor Kulongoski was joined by Oregon Health and Sciences University, Oregon State University and Samaritan Health Services to announce a new public-private partnership to establish an OHSU School of Medicine Campus in Corvallis. “This partnership will continue the progress we’ve made over the last four years in my healthcare workforce initiative,” the Governor said.

“It’s about making sure that Oregon has the right number of healthcare professionals with the right skills, at the right time, in the right areas of the state.” The Governor’s budget includes more than $28 million for targeted workforce training in high-demand occupations, including the healthcare fields to address the workforce shortage facing Oregon as the baby-boom population begins to retire and Oregon’s aging population continues to grow.

The Governor’s budget for OHSU includes funding for the program announced today beginning in the 2008-09 fiscal year. “The fact is, we are facing a serious challenge in preparing people for healthcare jobs,” the Governor said.

“We have growing demands on our healthcare system coupled with more unfilled jobs in our system – the recipe for a perfect storm. That’s why we must act today to address these shortages and expand access for more Oregonians to enter the healthcare fields – which the program will help us accomplish.” The Governor also highlighted his “everything that works” plan for health care, which is built around three principles: reduce costs, expand access and improve quality.

The Governor also urged the legislature to adopt his budget, which would provide affordable healthcare for all uninsured children in Oregon, expand the adult population under the Oregon Health Plan, and help address the healthcare workforce shortage in Oregon by recruiting and training more healthcare professionals, particularly in rural Oregon. “It is also my hope that the legislature will approve my funding request for the rural health care student program,” the Governor continued.

“And that some of the students who come through this new partnership can receive help with their student loans – and then enter the field ready to help improve the health of our citizens.” The Governor’s budget includes $1 million for the rural health care student loan repayment program, which helps health practitioners repay their student loans in return for serving in designated rural communities in Oregon. “If we are going to make meaningful progress in expanding access to healthcare for all of our citizens – we must provide rural Oregon with highly trained medical practitioners – or that promise will ring hollow.”