Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that the?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide over $3.2 million in federal funding to help Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden and Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM) train the next generation of health care workers and expand access to health care in South Jersey. Rutgers University will receive $245,872 to train and educate nurses, and RowanSOM will receive $3,000,000 to train community health workers and paraprofessionals. 

“I’m proud to see federal dollars go towards helping South Jersey students start their careers and deliver care to those who need it,” said Congressman Norcross. “These grants will go a long way in strengthening our workforce and expanding access to health care in our communities. I will continue fighting for legislation in Congress that equips local health care professionals with the training and resources they need to keep South Jerseyans healthy.” 

“This award will provide the School of Nursing–Camden with crucial support as we work to augment the current and future nursing workforce. With shortages in practicing nurses and nurse educators impacting health care systems nationwide, this funding will help to ensure that Rutgers–Camden can produce exceptional nurses prepared to educate the future health care workforce locally and nationally,” said Dr. Marie O’Toole, interim dean of Rutgers School of Nursing-Camden. 

“Although individuals with substance use disorders are at higher risk for one or more chronic health conditions and experience worse outcomes, many remain disconnected from care. At the same time, community health workers help connect patients living in the community to primary care and other services, but most remain separate from the substance use treatment field. This project will explore the creation of a new community health worker and certified peer recovery specialist training program. This?combined training will prepare a workforce that can provide services that address both chronic health conditions and substance use disorders simultaneously,” said Dr. Richard Jermyn, who will direct this program for the Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine. 

RowanSOM’s federal grant comes from HHS’s Community Health Worker and Paraprofessional Training program. This federal grant aims to increase the number of community health care workers and expand access to critical care in underserved communities. Similarly, Rutgers University’s $245,872 federal grant comes from the HHS’s Nurse?Education?Practice Quality and Retention:?Clinical Faculty?and?Preceptor Academies program, which supports public-private partnerships that develop nurse training curriculums across the country.  

Read more about these programs here and here. 

This announcement builds on Congressman Norcross’s long track record of strengthening workforce training programs and improving public health in South Jersey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he fought hard to provide community health care facilities with vital resources, voting to provide CAMcare with over $7.75 million?through the American Rescue Plan. Additionally, Congressman Norcross?secured $300,000 in community project funding?to help local leaders create a community-level network to address food insecurity and health-related issues in South Jersey. He has also championed workforce development programs in other sectors, including a new wind energy jobs training program at Rowan University.