LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Eight of the federal government’s $103 million awarded to prevent burnout among America’s health care workers is going straight into the California medical system, to improve retention and fund programs, among other goals.
“I have traveled to many health centers across the country and know that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified issues that have long been a source of stress for frontline health care workers — from increased patient volumes to long working hours,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
“This funding reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring we have enough critical frontline workers by supporting health care providers now and beyond as they face burnout and mental health challenges.”
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will receive more than $2.1 million, Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, Calif. will receive more than $2 million, Touro University in Vallejo, Calif. will receive nearly $1.6 million and San Diego’s Centro De Salud De La Comunidad De San Ysidro Health will receive nearly $3 million. Grants will be distributed over three years. For the full list of recipients, click here.
The funding, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, will go toward evidence-informed programs, practices and training and promoting mental health.
Before granting the Health Workforce Resiliency Awards, organizers took into account the needs of rural and medically underserved communities, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
For the last two years, hospital staffers across the country have had to navigate their way through an exceedingly high number of patients — while also trying to remain COVID-free in order to return home to their families and continue working.
As Omicron has taken hold, Los Angeles medical workers have now added staffing shortages to their list, as many of their own are now contracting the highly transmissible variant.
Those circumstances, combined with two years of emotionally draining work responding to the coronavirus pandemic, have led to burnout that has quickly become visible to both state and governmental leaders who have recognized that COVID-19 has “compounded rates of depression and anxiety among healthcare workers,” according to a statement shared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Now more than ever, it is critical to support the well-being of our health care workforce, who are working every day to protect each of us,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said..
“[The] awards will provide new tools to help support our health professionals’ resilience as they continue to face the stress and challenges of responding to COVID-19 and other health care needs and provide high quality care.”
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