New York
New York awards $32.5 million a year to train health care workers, including four Western New York providers
Thirty-four facilities get five-year awards of $500,000 to $1 million a year to train nurses, aides and other workers, which could ease staffing shortages behind delayed home care and nursing home admissions.
Key facts
- Governor Hochul announced on October 21 that New York is awarding $32.5 million a year to 34 health care facilities for workforce training.
- The five-year awards run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031, and range from $500,000 to $1 million a year per facility.
What happened
Governor Hochul announced on October 21 that New York is awarding $32.5 million a year to 34 health care facilities for workforce training. The five-year awards run from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031, and range from $500,000 to $1 million a year per facility.
The money supports training and career advancement for nurses, aides and other health workers across the state's regions. In the Western region, recipients include Catholic Health System, Jericho Road Ministries, The Chautauqua Center and UPMC Chautauqua at WCA.
What it means for families
Staffing shortages are a main reason families wait for home care hours or a nursing home bed. Training programs take time, but they add workers to the pipeline.
For example: an aide who trains to become an LPN through one of these programs could fill a nursing home shift that now goes uncovered, which helps admissions open up.
Family caregivers interested in paid care work can also ask about these training openings.
Families will not see the effect overnight. The awards started October 1 and run five years, so the benefit is more workers over time rather than an immediate fix for this winter's staffing gaps.
What this means in New York: this is a statewide New York program, with Western New York recipients in Buffalo and Chautauqua County.
What to do this week
- If a relative is considering a health care career, ask these recipient facilities about training openings.
- When choosing a care provider, ask how it trains and keeps staff.
- Watch for workforce updates from the state Department of Health.
- If a home care agency says it cannot staff hours, ask your managed care plan to look for another agency.
Sources
More from New York
- Judge finds Sullivan County in contempt for moving nursing home residents despite court order
- New York heating aid applications open November 2, and older adults can get extra help
- New York posts a guide to coming Medicaid changes under the federal law