Grant Addresses RGV’s Nursing Shortage

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Grant Addresses RGV’s Nursing Shortage

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Reports indicate the current shortage of nurses in the Valley could be as high as 6,000. The Nursing Expansion Grant will allow VIDA and its partners to significantly impact this shortage. (Courtesy)
Reports indicate the current shortage of nurses in the Valley could be as high as 6,000. The Nursing Expansion Grant will allow VIDA and its partners to significantly impact this shortage. (Courtesy)

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that it had selected 25 organizations to receive grants totaling $78 million to “develop professional pathways to nursing.” 

The list of recipients includes only one organization in Texas. It’s the Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement, which is based in Mercedes. A grant of $3 million was awarded to VIDA to help train and develop more nursing professionals in the Rio Grande Valley. 

Members of the VIDA team display a symbolic $3 million check representing the organization’s Nursing Expansion Grant Award from the U.S. Department of Labor. (Courtesy)
Members of the VIDA team display a symbolic $3 million check representing the organization’s Nursing Expansion Grant Award from the U.S. Department of Labor. (Courtesy)

The Department of Labor figures show there are about 4.2 million registered nurses in the United States. Yet, the industry is facing significant staffing challenges. Federal labor projections estimate there will be a yearly average of 203,200 openings for RNs through 2031. There are just over 8,000 RNs in the Valley. The Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies estimated the Valley’s current shortage of nurses could be as high as 6,000. 

“This represents the need for a 75-percent increase in the current supply, just to meet the existing demand for nurses,” said Felida Villarreal, the chief executive officer of VIDA. Area hospitals have reported a dire need for more nurses and other health-care professionals, Villarreal said. 

“To address the critical need for healthcare professionals, VIDA is partnering with 12 area hospitals, three training providers, a community advocacy group, and both workforce development boards to collaboratively develop innovative solutions to resolve the nursing and allied health labor shortages,” she said.

Villarreal also reached out to U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez for his support. He said nurses play a critical role in providing health care. Gonzalez said the Department of Labor’s Nursing Expansion Grant will bolster nursing workforce and health care in the Valley. The VIDA grant will fund training for registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, patient care technicians and other health-care professionals.

Felida Villarreal serves as president and CEO of VIDA. (Courtesy)
Felida Villarreal serves as president and CEO of VIDA. (Courtesy)

Rebuilding A Workforce

The timing of the VIDA grant couldn’t be better, said Leslie Bingham. The chief executive officer of Valley Baptist Medical Center–Brownsville is also a member of the VIDA board of directors. 

“We have such raw talent here, with the values the kids learn from their parents and other people around them and the work ethic (here),’’ Bingham said. “We have a potential workforce that other areas of the country would kill to have but we don’t have the resources to train them.”

Villarreal said VIDA expects to serve 725 program-eligible Valley residents in the program’s Nursing Career Pathways Track. The Valley has lower median household incomes than those in many other parts of the country. A program like nursing pathways can make the project transformative.

“Historically marginalized populations will graduate with a degree or industry-recognized certificate in a high-demand occupation and achieve living-wage employment in the health-care industry,” Villarreal said. “Through this project, VIDA is simultaneously addressing workforce gaps and upskilling economically disadvantaged individuals, promoting economic development of our communities.”

Bingham reaffirmed the impact the $3 million grant will have to train new nurses and meet industry needs. 

“When people and businesses are looking into relocating, the quality of healthcare in an area is one of the most important factors,” she said. “The pandemic really decimated our healthcare numbers. We are still in the rebuilding phase.”

The VIDA grant, she said, “will be the momentum we need to grow back the workforce.”

VIDA expects to serve 725 unemployed and underemployed Valley residents in its Nursing Career Pathways Track through this five-year initiative. (Courtesy)
VIDA expects to serve 725 unemployed and underemployed Valley residents in its Nursing Career Pathways Track through this five-year initiative. (Courtesy)

Partnerships 

VIDA has partnered with South Texas College, Texas State Technical College and Texas Southmost College for training in moving the project forward. 

Recruitment has already begun. Individuals must be at least 18 years old with a high-school diploma or general educational development certificate. Participants must be eligible to work in the United States and be unemployed, underemployed or meet income requirements. To learn more or to apply, call VIDA at 956-903-1900 or visit vidacareers.org. 

“This $3 million grant award represents a tremendous achievement for both our organization and our region because it demonstrates our innovation and our capability of being at the forefront of workforce development priorities,” said Villarreal. 

The $3 million Nursing Expansion Grant will allow VIDA to partner with three higher-education institutions in the Valley, targeting pathways in nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy. (Courtesy)
The $3 million Nursing Expansion Grant will allow VIDA to partner with three higher-education institutions in the Valley, targeting pathways in nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy. (Courtesy)

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