Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - Charlotte Business Journal:

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The grants, being divvied amonf 17 Marylandnursing schools, will be used to lure facultu and students, and improves technology at the universities. Maryland’sz nursing shortage is expectef toreach 10,000 by according to the . The curren t vacancy rate of nurses at state hospitals is8 percent. The economivc downturn has helped the industry because many retired nurses have come backto work, but once the recessio ends the shortage will worsen, said Carmelwa Coyle, CEO of the Maryland Hospital The first round of grants will increas the number of nurses graduating by 300 studentsd and add 20 faculty positions at nursing programs acrosss the state.
“The number of nurseas graduating from Maryland schools are simplynot enough,” said Ronald B. president of and co-chair of the “Who Will campaign at a press conference “We cannot take our eye off thenursingv demand.” The campaign’s goal is to add 1,50p new nursing students. The program has raised $15.5 million to date through the state’x business community, including funds from the Baltimorr constructionform , , the region's largesyt hospital system, and , the region's largest healtnh insurer.
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, for example, gave The goal is to raisse $20 million from the private sectorr by the end ofthe year, and then raisre an addition $40 million in local and federal funds. • • • • • ; and, • .