CalOptima Health granted $5 million for UC Irvine’s NURSE-OC program, part of its initiative to address health disparities in Orange County by bolstering the workforce.
The grant for UCI is part of $25 million set aside for seven universities and colleges across Orange County.
The goal of CalOptima’s Provider Workforce Development Initiative is to address the health worker shortage seen in Orange County and throughout the nation by creating a financial safety net that will get students through their schooling and ensure that they enter into the county’s workforce.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimated earlier this year that an average of 193,100 registered nurse job positions will become available annually until 2032. However, between 2022 and 2032, the U.S. only expects about 177,400 nurses to enter the workforce, less than what is needed to fill one year of projected openings.
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UCI’s NURSE-OC program will offer externships to 60 students and residencies to six graduate students pursuing licenses as either family or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. Students who participate in the nursing program will receive a financial stipend and networking support to find work within organizations that serve CalOptima Health members.
“The NURSE-OC program emphasizes excellence and dignity in addressing nursing workforce shortages, with the goal of fulfilling the critical need for providers in Orange County,” Mark Lazenby, dean of the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing, said in a statement. “Our diverse student body reflects the communities in which they serve, and this grant will support the program’s goal of advancing health care equity and expanding access to the most vulnerable populations.”
Sana Mutalib and Karina Aziyeva, two students enrolled in UCI’s master’s entry program in nursing, said it’s “heartwarming” to see CalOptima investing in the future of nurses.
“The main problem that we face and are seeing (in nursing) is burnout because I think nurses don’t feel appreciated. The amount of responsibilities that they can carry out on a daily basis is overwhelming,” Aziyeva said.
“Feeling that appreciation is super important,” Aziyeva said. “Getting this grant makes us feel that we’re valued, and they’re recognizing how much we do and how much personal heart we put into our patient’s care.”
Nurses are the backbone of clinical care, said Michael Hunn, CEO of CalOptima Health.
“I have found that almost every nursing student I’ve ever met has been inspired by somebody else, and then they choose between the head and the heart, a vocation of nursing because they want to help people,” Hunn said. “These dollars are investing in that to help those students not only feel appreciated but have the financial wherewithal to complete their studies and actually go and take care of patients in the community.”
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OC Supervisor Katrina Foley said investing in the nursing workforce is a requirement.
“We want to incentivize people to choose nursing as a profession,” Foley said. “We want them to choose nursing because it feels good in their heart and they’re caring people, but sometimes people have to choose between doing what they love versus, ‘How am I going to pay my bills?’ This is helping them to choose what they love and what they’re passionate about and what we need for caring for our community.”
Other universities and colleges receiving grants as part of this initiative include Cal State Fullerton ($5 million), Chapman University ($5 million), Concordia University Irvine ($5 million) and Coast Community College District ($2 million).
