Following a nursing shortage caused by the pandemic, Adams County, Colo., decided to invest $1.5 million from federal COVID-19 funds in its hospitals to train and keep nursing staff, KAKE, an ABC affiliate, reported July 13.
"We know the last three years have been difficult on the community. [Healthcare workers] have been the frontline serving the community," Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca said.
One of Adams County's hospitals, Platte Valley Medical Center, is already recruiting new nurses and placing them in extensive training programs — programs that may be expanded to additional Intermountain Healthcare hospitals in the future. The additional funds will continue to support these programs.
Half of all new nurses leave during their first year nationwide, and the new program at Platte Valley aims to solve this problem with efficient training and available staffing positions, according to KAKE.