Missouri
| Program Category | # of Grants per state | Sum of EDA $ |
|---|---|---|
| Disaster Relief | 1 | $96,000 |
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 2 | $2,229,940 |
| Planning | 20 | $2,240,000 |
| Public Works | 2 | $2,730,186 |
| Technical Assistance | 2 | $215,625 |
| Trade Adjustment Assistance | 1 | $1,128,913 |
| Grand Total | 28 | $8,640,664 |
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A national nursing shortage is having negative impacts across the country, including less access to care, limited expansion of vital services, reduction in the quality and safety of care delivered, and strains on existing workforces. The impact of the nursing shortage was acutely felt in southwest Missouri. In fact, the Missouri Hospital Association reported in May 2017 that the staff nursing vacancy rate was up nearly seven percent that year, resulting in 16 percent of all staff nursing positions in Missouri hospitals going unfilled.
Cox College, located in Springfield, Missouri, offers a flagship nursing program to prepare nursing students for the complex skills required in today’s health care landscape. However, the College’s current nursing school facility was not able to meet the high demand of potential students or the need across the state for qualified, highly-trained nurses.
In FY 2018, EDA awarded $2,230,186 in Public Works funds to Cox College to support regional workforce development in health care. The grant will help Cox College meet the industry demands by adding classroom space and new clinical areas as well as student-study and innovation spaces. The CoxHealth Foundation is working with more than a dozen local and regional health care providers who have pledged available and future positions for nurses who graduate from the Cox College nursing program. Cox College estimates that 465 jobs will be created through the expansion.