Congressman Horsford Introduces Bill, Hosts Roundtable on Training Low-Income Nevadans for High-Demand Health Care Careers

Press Release

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEV. -- This week, Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV-04) joined a bipartisan group of legislators to introduce the Pathways to Health Careers Act, legislation to modernize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to better support low-income workers as they seek training and education for in-demand health care careers. The HPOG program has a proven track record of successfully educating workers for in-demand jobs in the health care industry, while also providing career coaching and job placement, along with a mix of other support services.

The Pathways to Health Careers Act includes the Health Providers Training Act, legislation authored by Congressman Horsford that was independently introduced earlier this month. The Health Providers Training Act would allow hospitals to use the HPOG Program to train workers.

HPOG training programs prepare individuals for a variety of healthcare careers such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Nursing, Licensed Practical Nurse, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Office Secretary, Medical Assistant, Physical Therapy Assistant, Home Health Aide, Direct Support professional, and Surgical Technologist.

On Wednesday, Congressman Horsford hosted a roundtable at the College of Southern Nevada to discuss the Health Providers Training Act with workforce development leaders and recent graduates of CSN's Community Health Care Workers training program.

"As Nevada recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, our state is facing a critical shortage of health care workers, especially in rural and underserved areas. I'm excited to introduce the Pathways to Health Careers Act and the Health Providers Training Act, which will provide low-income Nevadans with new pathways to train for high-demand health care careers," said Congressman Steven Horsford. "This week's roundtable conversation at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) was a tremendous opportunity to learn about our region's workforce development needs. As the Pathways to Health Careers Act and the Health Providers Training Act move through Congress, I look forward to continuing my office's partnership with CSN to create opportunities for hard-working Nevadans."

"Expanding Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) programs through the Health Providers Training Act would create pathways for individuals to get into family sustaining careers in the health professions. HPOG programs create a win-win for employers and students while helping improve the overall health of our communities. The College of Southern Nevada was glad to host Congressman Horsford for this week's roundtable to talk about the benefits that his bill will bring to our students and the region at large," said Dr. Federico Zaragoza, President of the College of Southern Nevada.

During Wednesday's discussion at the College of Southern Nevada, Congressman Horsford was joined by:

Dr. Federico Zaragoza, President of College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
Clarissa Cota, Vice President/Provost, North Las Vegas Campus, College of Southern Nevada
Ms. Belkiss Rodriguez, Director of Programs at CSN Division of Workforce & Economic Development (DWED)
Janice Glasper, College of Southern Nevada Dean of Health Sciences
Sherri Lindsey, College of Southern Nevada Professor of Nursing
Heidi Schneiter, College of Southern Nevada Program Director for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS)
Dina Neal, Nevada State Senator
Bishop Ron Thomas, Reconciliation Apostolic Ministries and a 2021 College of Southern Nevada Community Health Worker Graduate
Jordan Pulse, 2021 College of Southern Nevada Community Health Worker Graduate
Jesse Santos, 2021 College of Southern Nevada Community Health Worker Graduate
Phillip Washington, the Promise Land Community Church
Sondra Cosgrove, Professor, College of Southern Nevada
Vance Farrow, Healthcare Industry Specialist, Nevada's Office of Economic Development
Debra Fox, Chief Nursing Officer, University Medical Center
Shenakwa Hawkins, Family Nurse Practitioner, Care with Purpose Medical Center
Jason L Wasden, Executive Director of Government Affairs, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Shenakwa Hawkins, Family Nurse Practitioner, Care with Purpose Medical Center

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