Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - The Business Review (Albany):

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The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylancdnursing schools, will be used to lure facultg and students, and improve technolog at the universities. Maryland’s nursiny shortage is expected toreacjh 10,000 by 2016, according to the . The currenr vacancy rate of nurses at state hospitals is 8 The economic downturn has helped the industry because many retire d nurses have come backto work, but once the recessiob ends the shortage will said Carmela Coyle, CEO of the Marylanf Hospital Association. The first round of grants will increase the number of nurses graduating by 300 student and add 20 faculty positions at nursing programsa acrossthe state.
“The numbe r of nurses graduating from Maryland schools are simplhnot enough,” said Ronald B. Peterson, president of and co-chair of the “Whko Will Care?” campaign at a presss conference Monday. “We cannot take our eye off thenursinh demand.” The campaign’s goal is to add 1,5009 new nursing students. The program has raisesd $15.5 million to date through the state’s businessa community, including funds from the Baltimore constructiohform , , the region's largest hospital system, and , the region'ws largest health insurer. Greater Baltimore Medical Center, for gave $500,000.
The goal is to raise $20 milliobn from the private sector by the end of the and then raise anaddition $40 million in state, locap and federal funds. • • • • • ; and, • .