Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), joined by Governor Phil Scott, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, and House Speaker Jill Krowinski, on Monday will discuss Vermont’s nursing workforce crisis. The press conference will be held at 10 am at the State House.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was estimated that Vermont needed to add approximately 9,000 nurses to the state’s workforce in the next seven years.
However, Vermont’s nursing schools are only able to graduate between 500 and 600 nurses each year – less than half of the number needed to keep up with retirements and those leaving the workforce.
Without enough qualified local nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers are forced to pay outrageous sums of money for traveling nurses to come from out-of-state to care for Vermont patients.
Estimates suggest that Vermont health care providers will have spent at least $75 million in 2021 on traveling nurses alone.
The speakers will discuss what is currently being done to support the nursing workforce and how federal and state partners can work together to address this crisis.
