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Heath Foundation of South Florida Invests $1 Million to Address

Region’s Nursing and Healthcare Workforce Shortage

As the nationwide nursing shortage
persists, the Health Foundation of South
Florida, the region’s largest philanthropic
organization focused on achieving health
equity in underserved communities,
announced a $1 million investment to
fund expanded enrollment, scholarships
and other support services for nursing
and health sciences students at two local
public colleges—Miami Dade College
and Broward College.
With the funding, the Health
Foundation not only seeks to bolster
South Florida’s nursing and allied health-
care workforce (which includes medical
assistants and techs as well as licensed
practical nurses, for example) but also
increase access to well-paying, in-
demand jobs for students from the
region’s underserved, Black and Hispanic
communities.
“We understand there are no quick or
simple solutions to our region’s shortage of
nursing and healthcare workers. But we
also believe the crisis presents an opportu-
nity for us to help pave the way to good,
steady, well-paying jobs for more people in
our community,” said Loreen Chant, CEO
of the Health Foundation of South Florida.
“We care about this deeply because we
know that improving the health and well-
being of our region is impossible without
making economic opportunity and mobili-
ty more accessible.”
The grants will be used by both colleges
to attract more minority, first-generation
and low-income students to their respec-
tive health sciences and nursing programs.
They will offer scholarships and create
retention and support initiatives to help
ensure the students graduate successfully
and are ultimately connected to health sys-
tem jobs. Many students who enroll face
significant challenges, such as family
responsibilities, financial obligations and
other structural or motivational barriers
that often impede them from completing
certificate or degree programs.
Miami Dade College—which received a
$500,000 grant from the Health Foundation Broward College, which also received a $500,000 grant, will use the funds to launch
that was matched by an additional $500,000 from the Mitchell Wolfson Family an initiative to support health sciences students who have unmet personal and eco-
Foundation—will use the funds to expand its recently launched certification program for nomic needs. The college plans to hire two full-time “retention specialists” whose
licensed practical nurses, or LPN’s. In addition, they will use the grant to increase the jobs it will be help vulnerable students access the support they need so they can grad-
number of students earning two-year Associate Degrees in nursing and to provide schol- uate successfully. The school also plans to leverage the Health Foundation’s grant to
arships, extra academic prep classes and workshops for students in need.
secure an additional $700,000 to fund the efforts.

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