The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Gets Multi-Year Grant for Rural Health Care

It’s been a year of talking about a need for better health care and more funding for frontline workers and hospitals. It’s been a year (over a year) where we’ve talked about the lack of access in urban and rural areas. And these areas where there is a severe lack of access need help. There has been a documented gap in regards to accessible health care in rural areas, especially in Michigan. Just as in other rural communities, there is a gap in healthcare workers. There is also a shortage of proper hospitals, with only 71 operational as of now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has displayed a need for improved access and increased availability when it comes to rural areas. That’s why a $2.5 million grant awarded to the Michigan Department of Health could be so critical to helping to close the health care gap in those regions.

Michigan Department of Health Gets Grant to Hire More Healthcare Workers

So, let’s talk more about what this grant award means. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s H-1B Rural Healthcare Grant Program. The funds will address healthcare worker and staffing shortages in rural areas of Michigan.

Over the next four years, the goal is to hire 430 new healthcare workers to fill staffing shortages across rural Michigan.

Here’s what Michigan Labor and Economics Acting Director Susan Corbin had to say about these new grant awards: “These funds will support the efforts of Michigan Rural Enhanced Access to Careers in Healthcare (MiREACH), which reaches into rural communities to address critical healthcare workforce shortages,” said Corbin. “Ensuring our state’s rural healthcare providers are able to find high-quality talent will improve their ability to provide lifesaving and community-supporting services.”

MiREACH will lead LEO in creating these much-needed employment programs that will work to address these shortages across all the areas with a shortage. Rural areas comprise over 18% of Michigan’s population, and this could really increase health outcomes for those who are struggling. Another thing that could help make a difference is increased access to broadband, which would allow for telehealth to be expanded.

GrantWatch Is Proud to List Healthcare-Related Grants

Health and medical grants can provide critical funding to key projects that improve the health of the communities that nonprofits, agencies, and other eligible organizations serve. That’s why GrantWatch is so proud to list an entire category of Health and Medical grants on our website. There are currently over 1000 grants under this category right now.

If you have any questions about this grant category, or any other grant categories on our website, feel free to reach out! You can reach our dedicated customer service line at 561-249-4129.