National data show that there are healthcare workforce shortages across the country. These shortages are often exacerbated further in rural areas, where patients not only face shortages in terms of the availability of providers but also a complete lack of certain medical specialists or allied health professionals.
The Kenan Trust is investing in programs aimed at reducing these shortages. We fund projects that educate a healthcare workforce and create systems-change across the workforce pipeline, from K–12 programs through professional practice. Though there are needs at every stage of a healthcare workforce pipeline, we will primarily focus our efforts on projects that strengthen the workforce pipeline at the post-secondary degree stage. Our grants will largely be directed to colleges and universities or organizations training new healthcare workers or re-credentialing individuals who have a degree but who have left the workforce.
Sample grants include:
- Support for accelerated nursing programs
- Scholarships for healthcare education programs
- Programs that incentivize students to practice in rural or other underserved communities
- Programs that support nurses who wish to re-enter the workforce
Grants in this area are by invitation only, and sizes vary depending on the capacity of the applying organization and the scope and reach of the proposed project.
Featured Grant in Healthcare Workforce: Elon University
In 2024, the Kenan Trust funded new Nursing Fellows at Elon University. The Nursing Fellows are offered four-year, merit-based scholarships to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This pre-licensure program provides students with a foundational knowledge base and promotes an ethos of patient-centered care across the lifespan and the health-wellness-illness continuum.
