HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $159.1 million in grants to health care workforce training programs. The grants will target three types of programs: Nursing Workforce Development programs; interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs; and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students.

Nursing Workforce Development programs will receive $106 million in grants to support all levels of nursing education. Interdisciplinary Geriatric Education and Training will receive 85 awards totaling $29.5 million will fund three geriatric education and training programs at accredited health professions schools.

  • Geriatric Education Centers (GEC) ($17.2 million) supports 45 awards to improve training of health professionals in geriatrics; develop curricula relating to treating health problems of the elderly; and support faculty training and continuing education for health professionals in geriatric care.

  • Geriatric Training for Physicians, Dentists, and Behavioral and Mental Health Professionals (GTPD) ($8.1 million) supports 13 grants to geriatric training projects that will train health professionals who plan to teach geriatric medicine, geriatric dentistry, or geriatric behavioral or mental health.

  • Comprehensive Geriatric Education Program (CGEP) ($4.2 million) supports 27 grants for projects to train and educate individuals in providing geriatric care for the elderly, including curriculum development, faculty training and continuing education for geriatric providers.

State-by-state charts of the grant awards are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/state_charts.html.

For more information on HRSA’s health professions programs, go to http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/

(Source: [removed]Press Release[/removed])