The Trump Administration announced $11.7 million in federal investment to strengthen healthcare services in rural Vermont, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said today.
Of the total, Vermont is dedicating $9 million to provide tuition benefits to healthcare professionals in positions difficult to fill who commit to serving rural communities for at least five years after graduation. The remaining $2.7 million will support three rural nursing homes to increase their capacity to serve patients with complex medical needs and fund four community partners to expand training of Licensed Nursing Assistants (LNAs) in rural healthcare and long-term care settings.
The funding, delivered through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, aims to address workforce shortages in nursing, dentistry, mental health, and emergency medical services throughout rural Vermont. Investments in LNA recruitment and training are meant to reduce Vermont's reliance on expensive temporary staffing from agencies.
Specific projects supported include purchasing ventilators to expand rural nursing home capabilities and opening a "dialysis den" in a Vermont nursing home to allow residents to receive dialysis in their community rather than traveling long distances.