Hearts in Home Care Nurse Scholarship Fund
Mission
Mission
The implementation of a scholarship program for existing employees to enable home healthcare agencies to provide scholarship funds to engage in career advancing educational programs in the field of nursing is both life changing for the individual and industry changing for the services that can be delivered through the expansion of the capacity to serve additional patients.
Why?
The biggest workforce challenges facing home healthcare providers are the undersupply and the successful recruitment and retention of caregivers.
The increased demand for healthcare professionals and specifically the need for new HHAs, LPNs, and RNs, illustrates the need for career advancement pathways. Creation of pathways to recruit and retain nursing staff is imperative to stimulate the healthcare workforce pipeline. Career advancement is widely reported as being a key factor in overall job satisfaction and employee retention. Caregiver burnout will be reduced with a balanced workload and subsequently professionals will be retained.
While home healthcare agencies are eager to provide career development opportunities to advance the skills of proficiency, professional standing, and retention of their current workforce, most lack the financial resources to provide substantial growth opportunities due to current fiscal limitations.
Who Does This Serve?
The HHCNSF will provide financial support for homecare workers who meet one or more of the following criteria: (1) economically disadvantaged or those who could use additional support, (2) an under-represented ethnicity or population, or (3) have a compelling or extenuating circumstance to attain their RN or LPN certification. All organizations who apply will demonstrate that the employee meets the income criteria of the region. Economic-related criteria can vary by region.
HCANYS will establish and operate the scholarship program with a projected 10-15 participating agencies and at least 50 individual scholarship recipients in the home healthcare field.
What It Does
The impact of the Hearts in Home Care Nurse Scholarship Fund (HHCNSF) will provide support for underrepresented and/or financially disadvantaged home healthcare workers or others who are employed by a home healthcare services agency and may be experiencing extenuating circumstances, to earn an advanced degree in the field of nursing. Attainment of an enhanced credential in nursing will position them to garner an increased wage and level of self-sufficiency; retain critical caregivers and enhance the capacity of the employing agency to deliver needed care to patients in the community and consequently serve to improve transitions of care between the home healthcare agency and other community providers (hospitals, skilled nursing facilities).
Who Can Apply?
All CHHAs, LHCSAs, and Hospice providers in NYS can apply for the HHCNSF to provide scholarship funding to support their employees. Relieving the financial burden will allow more professionals to continue working and continue their education and training without the added financial stress as a barrier.
Qualifying Expenses
Eligible degrees/programs include, Licensed Practical Nurse , Associate Registered Nurse , Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing , Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing , or Master of Science in Nursing, and other credentialing programs as applicable.
Agency Responsibilities
- Ability to demonstrate that each employee receiving a scholarship meets one or more of the recipient criteria.
- Provides, or supports the collection of, all required data and evaluations for purposes of grant reporting.
- Facilitates the development of a news story or video that highlights the professional journey in home care for at least one of their scholarship recipients.
Upcoming Q&A Webinar
Join HCA E&R for a brief question and answer session on the grant and application process.
When: June 16th 12:00pm-12:30pm
Submit questions ahead of time to Taylor Perre,
Staff Contacts
Questions?
Celisia Street, Vice President for Workforce Development and Innovation
Taylor Perre, Associate Director of Policy and Advocacy