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WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Employers across the state, from small businesses to major hospitals, are telling us the same thing: They need more skilled workers.

Let’s take healthcare, for example, a field where worker shortages remain widespread and have far-reaching consequences for our most vulnerable populations.

In a recent report by the Center for Health Workforce Studies, over 94% of nursing homes reported challenges in recruiting Certified Nurse Assistants (CNAs) and home health aides in New York. Why? Because there simply aren’t enough trained workers.

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CBS 6 News WRGB Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — As nursing shortages and strikes persist, a new report from the U Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies raises concerns about whether the current output of registered nurses will meet future demand. The report, which examined the nursing education pipeline in New York State, highlights a decline in registered nurse graduation rates in recent years.

There were slight drops in the number of graduates in 2022, 2023, like maybe 300 give or take,” said Dr. Jean Moore of UAlbany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies. “And we’re like, oh my god, is this a trend? We really don’t know.

The report found that graduation rates decreased from 2021 to 2023, and 42% of study participants reported turning away qualified applicants in 2023. Dr. Moore attributed these issues to difficulties in recruiting faculty and a lack of clinical training sites. “The two things that they talk about a lot are difficulty recruiting faculty,” Moore said. “And also lack of clinical training sites.”

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Crain’s New York Business

Graduation rates among registered nurses declined slightly between 2021 and 2023 even as applications to degree programs ticked upward, according to new data from the Center for Healthcare Workforce Studies at SUNY Albany. The data, collected through surveys with education programs across the state, could portend a rocky road for the effort to restore New York’s decimated nurse workforce.

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Spectrum News 1

For several years now, staffing issues have plagued the health care industry, impacting many upstate facilities. Now, the pool of registered nurses (RNs) in New York state appears to be shrinking, according to a new report highlighting education trends.

The annual report from the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies shows about 4% fewer RNs graduating since 2021, as some programs struggled to accommodate applicants.

“It’s very difficult,” said CHWS senior program manager Robert Martiniano. “Chemistry, biology, plus the clinical work, and it’s very demanding work.”

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Daily Nurse

In a bold move to address the pressing challenges facing the nursing workforce, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has announced an exciting new initiative to enhance health outcomes across New York State. The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, the state’s largest grantmaking organization focused on vulnerable communities, is premiering its Nursing Initiative—a groundbreaking grant program designed to support safety net hospitals that provide vital care to high-need populations…

…The Nursing Initiative was established in response to a healthcare workforce report conducted in collaboration with the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies. The report revealed a concerning statistic: 15% of registered nurses in hospitals aged 20 to 39 plan to leave their positions within the next year. This underscores the urgent need for solutions to prevent further declines in the nursing workforce. Despite significant investments to address healthcare workforce shortages, New York faces challenges in strengthening its registered nursing workforce.

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 Dental News

NEW YORK: A new bill introduced in New York’s state legislature aims to license dental therapists, a mid-level profession that supporters believe could expand dental care access, lower costs, and reduce waiting times. Dental therapists, often compared to physician assistants in medicine, are trained to perform routine dental procedures like fillings, extractions, and cleanings under the supervision of dentists.

Currently licensed in 14 U.S. states and over 50 countries, dental therapists could serve as a solution to the oral health access gap in New York, where two-thirds of residents live in high-need areas for dental care, according to a study by the Center for Health Workforce Studies. Proponents, such as Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, argue that the measure would address disparities in dental care access for underserved communities, particularly those without dental insurance or on Medicaid.

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Crain’s New York Business

New York nursing homes are chronically understaffed, a shortcoming enabled by pandemic-era workforce challenges and recent mandates that have never been enforced.

New York nursing homes have among the worst performance in meeting set nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in the country, with only 20% of providers meeting or exceeding federally recommended levels, according to a new analysis of federal data…

…New York has lower nurse-to-patient ratios than 44 states and territories according to the LTCCC data. Nursing homes have reported certified nurse aides and registered nurses to be among the most difficult to recruit and retain positions, according to a recent survey from the Center for Healthcare Workforce Studies at SUNY Albany. That is primarily due to workforce shortages and non-competitive salaries, the study found.

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Newsday

State legislation pending in Albany would license dental therapy in New York, a profession that supporters say would lower costs, expand access to dentistry, shorten waits and improve oral health…

…An estimated 68.5 million adults go without dental insurance, according to the 2023 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey by the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. In parts of New York, two-thirds of the population live in high needs areas for oral health, according to a study published in July by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s School of Public Health.

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Becker’s Dental and DSO Review

A report from the Center for Health Workforce Studies revealed that 43.4% of New York residents struggled to receive dental services.

About two-thirds of New Yorkers had a perceived need for oral healthcare in the past year, compared to 61.1% of individuals across the U.S.

Being unable to afford going to the dentist, not having dental insurance and difficulties finding a dentist who accepts their dental plan were three of the top barriers that New Yorkers faced when accessing dental services.

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Spotlight News

Oral health plays a critical role in a person’s overall health and well-being, yet many New Yorkers face limited access to the oral health services they need. Identifying where these needs are most acute can help guide resource allocation to fill service gaps.

A new report, released by the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University at Albany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences, indicates that improving access to oral health services in New York State requires a broader understanding of oral health needs and the challenges that underserved populations face.

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