The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and participating states announced a $275 million initiative Friday to recruit and retain nurses in rural nursing homes and other areas with labor shortages.
The Nurses for Nursing Homes initiative offers eligible nurses up to $40,000 in student loan repayment and a $10,000 stipend in exchange for a three-year service commitment, according to CMS.
The initiative targets staffing gaps that can limit access to nursing home care.
In a February summary of research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) said counties with more frequent staffing shortages experienced larger declines in the number of skilled nursing beds facilities could operate. Counties with the largest declines were more likely to be rural. …