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of innovative partnerships that provide “more immediate responses to the nursing shortage” and help meet regional health- care workforce needs. She noted that some hospitals partner with educators on high- school dual-enrollment programs that empower students to become licensed prac- tical nurses (LPNs) within 12 months after graduation. Hospitals and educators also partner to “upskill”healthcare workers who aspire to nursing careers, and some hospi- tals even provide their employed nurses as adjunct faculty to help local nursing schools enroll and graduate more students. OFFERING NURSING CAREERS TO YOUNGER STUDENTS Under a pilot program approved by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners (LSBPNE), several hospitals are helping educators expand LPN dual- enrollment opportunities for high-school students through Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC), Delgado Community Col- lege, Northshore Technical Community Col- lege, and Nunez Community College. The programs will offer LPN students clinical training at local hospitals with an opportu- nity to become licensed LPNs within a year of graduation. BRCC Dean of Nursing andAllied Health Sciences Michelle Dennis, PhD, RN, said her college’s dual-enrollment partnership was created with the goal of “removing barri- ers — time and money — for students and getting them where they need to be faster.” A cohort of 45 high-school students will begin courses this fall and gain credentials prevent her from having gainful, high-wage employment and being there to take care of patients who so desperately need her skill set,” she said. BUILDING ON EARLY PROGRESS In recent years, state lawmakers have worked to eliminate waiting lists for nurs- ing and allied health schools by awarding funding for schools that increase enroll- ment above a previous average. Louisiana universities and community colleges that applied for this funding have reported an overall increase of more than 1,900 stu- dents since the spring 2020 semester. Most of these enrollment increases occurred within community and technical colleges, which have less restrictive faculty eligibil- ity requirements. State lawmakers also provided $25 mil- lion for community and technical colleges that increase the number of students who successfully complete healthcare training programs through June 30, 2025. “In our first year, we’re a little over 5,600 healthcare completers out of our system in high-wage, high-demand fields, so we’re ecstatic,” said Louisiana Community and Technical Col- lege System (LCTCS) Chief Education and Training Officer Wendi Palermo, PhD, RN. “This coming year, we anticipate that num- ber being even larger because we took in more [students] hoping to graduate more as well.” While recognizing initial progress, Cloud said Louisiana should aim higher by pro- viding grants to encourage the expansion Without strong collaboration between hospitals, educators, and state officials, Louisiana’s growing healthcare workforce shortage will cause preventable patient care delays and weaken the overall health of our state. Fortunately, these leaders continue working together on a range of innovative solutions that target provider shortages on multiple fronts. According to recent data from the Loui- sianaWorkforce Commission, our state had more than 9,000 nursing and allied health vacancies. Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) CEO Karen Lyon, PhD, MBA, APRN- CNSBC, said that looming retirements among seasoned registered nurses (RNs) could exacerbate these shortages, estimat- ing that 15,000 RNs could retire within five years. “We’re probably going to continue to have challenges closing the gap as long as we have challenges with howmany students we can admit,” she said. During the last decade, faculty shortages have forced Louisiana nursing schools to turn away thousands of qualified applicants who could have helped to fill this gap. In 2022, 818 qualified students were unable to attend, as overall enrollment in pre-RN licensure programs slightly dipped by 172 students compared to the previous year. As a cancer survivor who understands the critical need for more nurses in her rural community, Sen. Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek) recently discussed a nursing school applicant named Veronica, who met all admission requirements and found her- self placed on a waitlist because of faculty shortages. “We don’t want those things to Mike Thompson serves as a healthcare policy analyst and media liaison for the Louisiana Hospital Association. Prior to moving to the LHA, he worked in Washington, D.C. as a legislative assistant to members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. He holds a Master of Science degree in communication from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a graduate certificate from George Washington University. Mike Thompson Healthcare Policy Analyst & Media Liaison Louisiana Hospital Association 18 SEP / OCT 2023 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS