KS- Growing the Health Care Workforce

The Health Care Workforce Partnership held a two-day symposium in Salina, Kansas to brainstorm ideas for how to reach the goal to grow Kansas' primary health care workforce by 10 to 25 percent over the next ten years. The planning is being coordinated by the Kansas Department of Commerce, which in September was awarded a $150,000 development grant under the federal health reform law.

Of the state's 105 counties, 27 were designated as county-wide Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as of February. Another 55 counties were designated HPSAs for having too few health care providers to serve low-income residents.