HHS to spend $250 million to increase number of primary-care providers

Washington Post, June 17, 2010

In an attempt to address a national shortage of healthcare workers, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that the federal government will spend $250 million in programs to increase the number of doctors, nurses, and other care providers. The money is the first allotment from the Prevention and Public Health Fund, created by the new healthcare law. It includes $168 million to train 500 new primary-care physicians over the next five years, $30 million to encourage 600 nursing students to attend school full-time and complete their education, and $32 million to create 600 new physician assistants.