A house bill introduced Tuesday would provide health care scholarships for underprivileged Kentuckians through a private-public partnership aimed at lessening the state’s health care workforce shortages in the future.

House Bill 200, seeks to create a healthcare workforce fund administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education. Most of the money in the fund – 65% – would be reserved for health care educational scholarships. The other 35% would be reserved for incentive prizes.?

“Simply put, this bill kickstarts career paths for all Kentuckians interested in health care careers and it puts a jetpack on the healthcare training pipeline,” said Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, the bill’s primary sponsor. He is joined in sponsorship by five fellow Republicans and one Democrat.?

The bill reads, in part: “It is the intent of the General Assembly to encourage private financial and philanthropic support of the Kentucky healthcare workforce investment fund, as the healthcare industry directly benefits from a well-trained workforce capable of meeting its employment needs and the needs of patients.”?

Kentucky has a well-documented nursing shortage, exacerbated by pandemic-induced burnout. This legislation is “broadening the base,” Fleming said, by including mental health, emergency medical services, dental hygiene, and other workforce branches.?

Dr. Aaron Thompson, the president of Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education, praised the health care workforce bill.?

“In order for Kentucky to get where Kentucky needs to go, he said, “we’re going to have to have a lot more people in health care – and all facets of health care.”?

“The best public-private partnerships are those that work on the front end to actually build out a long sustainable pipeline,” added Thompson.?

The bill would not receive funding this year, Fleming said, since the budget won’t be opened. The focus is mainly to “set up a framework” to address the shortages in the future. Meanwhile, CPE will be reaching out to the public for funding.?

“Money will be coming in here from all sectors,” Fleming said.?

Representatives from the Kentucky Nurses Association, the Healthcare CEO Council, Kentucky Center for Assisted Living and the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities also spoke in support of the bill.?

“With regards to nursing, this legislation will help decrease financial barriers that are currently preventing qualified individuals from entering the nursing workforce pipeline,” said Jennifer Wisemann with KNA.?

The scholarships will aim to better include people from “historically underserved” communities in the healthcare workforce. Thompson specifically mentioned Eastern Kentucky and “inner city Louisville” as part of that focus.

But, he said, “We can’t leave anyone out.”