The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced nearly $100 million in awards aimed at growing, supporting, and strengthening the health workforce. This funding seeks to improve access to quality care in high-need areas across the United States. The announcement coincided with an HHS Health Workforce Roundtable held as part of HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s Health Workforce Initiative.

“HHS launched our Health Workforce Initiative last year to make sure our country has enough health workers, and that those health workers are receiving the support they deserve. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in recruiting, training, and supporting the health workforce, so high-quality care is accessible for all,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is especially important that we address workforce shortages in underserved and rural communities, where access is often lacking.”

“At the same time that the Biden-Harris Administration achieves sizable gains in healthcare coverage, we are also making critical investments to grow a top-notch health workforce to deliver that care,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “At the Health Resources and Services Administration, our work across health workforce disciplines is helping to build the next generation of the health workforce and overcome barriers to care.”

The HRSA's newly announced awards aim to enhance and expand the number of nurses and primary care physicians while increasing behavioral health support by growing the community-based workforce.

Specific allocations include:

- **Growing the nursing workforce for acute and long-term care**: Over $19 million will be awarded over four years to five schools, including two community colleges, aimed at increasing nurses practicing in acute care settings and long-term care facilities.

- **Increasing the primary care physician workforce in high-need areas**: Nearly $12 million will be provided in 2024 to three medical schools focused on boosting primary care physicians in medically underserved rural and tribal communities.

- **Responding to the nation’s opioid crisis**: More than $63 million will be allocated over four years to 32 organizations for training peer support specialists and other community-based providers. These funds will aid mental health services for children whose parents or guardians are impacted by opioid use disorders.

- **Integrating mental health care into pediatric care**: An additional $4.6 million will go towards existing grantees expanding efforts related to pediatricians' mental health training and tele-consultations with psychiatrists.

For further details on award recipients, visit [HRSA's official website](https://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/fy24-workforce-award-announcements).