Plan to Strengthen Maine's Health Care Workforce Announced

Governor Janet Mills today, Oct. 25, announced the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan Initiatives to strengthen Maine’s health care workforce in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiatives hope to encourage people to pursue health care jobs in Maine and strengthen the state’s health care workforce, including new programs that make it more affordable to become a health care professional and make it easier to advance in their careers once they do.

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From Maine.gov:

The Administration is pursuing tuition support programs for health care professionals. Backed by $4 million from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, the programs will provide financial support, through scholarships and student loan relief, for example, to allow more people to become doctors, nurses, behavioral health specialists, long term care professionals and others starting at the end of this year.

The Governor also announced a program to help people who work in the health care field gain skills and advance with their employer. Backed by $8.5 million from the Governor’s Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan, the new “tuition remission” program provides financial support to help employees attain advanced health care credentials. The ability to earn credentials while on the job will allow health care workers to advance in the profession, leading to better paying jobs for them and improved health care services for Maine people.