Health Care

Workforce Updates

May 2026

HealthySteps expansion funding available

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there's no better time to start supporting mental health than in infancy and early childhood.

The New York State Office of Mental Health is accepting applications to establish new HealthySteps sites in pediatric and family medicine practices. Funding supports embedding a HealthySteps Specialist to strengthen early childhood development, caregiver support, and behavioral health integration for children ages zero to three. Practices serving high need communities or counties without existing HealthySteps sites are especially encouraged to apply. This includes Federally Qualified Health Centers, American Indian Health Programs in New York State, Rural Health Centers, and Community Health Centers.

Learn more about the HealthySteps Request for Applications.

9th annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium, May 7, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

The free, virtual event features leaders in the field who partner across sectors to improve older adult mental health.

Co-sponsored by Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), the Administration for Community Living, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the event will offer free continuing education credits for several professions.

Learn more and register.

University of Rochester School of Nursing Symposium, Thursday, June 18, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET

Bridging Academia and Clinical Practice through Digital Innovation
This dynamic one-day experiential learning summit brings together educators, clinicians, and academic leaders to examine how digital innovation can create meaningful synergy between classroom learning and clinical practice. Through expert-led discussions and interactive sessions, participants will explore technology-enabled models, collaborative partnerships, and practical strategies that enhance experiential learning across health professions programs.

Nursing contact hours will be provided.

• Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026
• Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
• Location: Helen Wood Hall, 255 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY 14642

Registration required.

Looking to grow your workforce with purpose?

Health, behavioral health, and social care providers across NYS continue to face staffing challenges—but there’s a pipeline of trained professionals ready to step in. Through the FLPPS Career Pathways Training (CPT) Program, graduates in high-demand roles are equipped with the skills to serve and committed to making a meaningful impact in our communities. FLPPS is seeking qualified service commitment sites to hire these individuals as they fulfill their three-year service requirement.

If you are a NYS Medicaid-enrolled provider or organization serving at least 30% Medicaid and/or uninsured patients, or you are contracted with a NYS Social Care Network, you may be eligible.

Visit our Partner website or connect with our CPT Partner Team via email to learn more.

Rural health and safety education funding: request for applications are out now

The Rural Health and Safety Education Request for Applications will fund community-based Extension programs that improve rural health, with a strong emphasis on health education, prevention, and outreach.

Applications must use research-informed, outcome-based approaches with measurable performance indicators and be implemented in federally classified rural counties. Eligible focus areas include:

• Individual and family health education across the lifespan, including motivation for healthier behaviors
• Training for volunteers and health service providers on health promotion and care delivery
• Rural health leadership development to build or improve local health services and facilities
• Farm safety education for farm workers, timber harvesters, and farm families
• Rural environmental health issues that directly affect human health
• Community-based outreach through human sciences Extension programs
• Substance misuse prevention (projects addressing opioid and other substance misuse are strongly encouraged)

Maximum award: $350,000 per project
Due: June 23, 2026

Learn more.

Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Residency Planning and Development Grant available

Expand the rural health workforce by training physicians in the communities where they are most needed—and where they are most likely to stay.

Successful applicants must have:

• Clear rural training sites
• Partnerships with academic institutions
• A realistic accreditation pathway
• A community and health system that support new rural physician residency programs or rural track programs

Eligible applicants include:

• Rural hospitals
• Community-based ambulatory care centers
• Public or private higher education institutions
• State, local, or tribal governments
• Nonprofit and for-profit organizations

Programs must:

• Develop a new rural residency program or rural track
• Train residents more than 50% of the time in Health Resources and Services Administration-defined rural areas
• Demonstrate a pathway toward accreditation
• Focus on one of the following specialties:
  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Psychiatry
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • General Surgery
  • Preventive Medicine

Learn more.

Funding for community-based participatory research to transform oral health now available

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research invites applications for Community-Based Participatory Research to Advance Data and Practice Transformation. This initiative aims to create scalable, sustainable solutions that integrate oral health into broader community systems, ultimately improving health outcomes across the lifespan. It supports projects that partner directly with communities to design, pilot, and implement population-level interventions aimed at improving oral health for all.

Funding opportunity highlights:

• Supports community-driven, cross-sector partnerships to address oral health inequities
• Focuses on population-level interventions targeting social determinants, chronic disease risk factors, and structural barriers
• Requires authentic community-based participatory research approaches
• Part of the national ADAPT consortium, with access to evaluation, data coordination, and community engagement support
• Clinical trials optional
• Open to U.S.-based academic institutions, nonprofits, tribal organizations, local governments, and other eligible entities
• Foreign institutions are not eligible

Learn more: PAR-27-015: Community-Based Participatory Research to Advance Data and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) for Optimizing Oral Health for All (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional).

Western New York Regional Area Health Education Center opens enrollment for student and early-career opportunities

Western New York Regional Area Health Education Center has opened enrollment for AHEC Scholar students for the upcoming 2026–2027 school year.

AHEC Scholars is a statewide, Health Resources and Services Administration-funded, two-year internship program for anyone enrolled in a health-related degree program and in their last two years of study. A stipend up to $1,000 each year is available to complete the program ($2,000 at program completion).

AHEC Scholars provides community learning opportunities in underserved and medically disadvantaged areas. It aims to:

• Increase understanding of barriers to quality health care
• Help professionals connect patients to community resources
• Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration

Curriculum topics include social determinants of health, cultural competency, mental health and primary care integration, and interprofessional practice and education.

Program requirements (each year):

• 40 hours of online learning
• 40 hours of experiential learning (clinical requirements may count if completed in rural and underserved communities)

Contact: info@r-ahec.org • 585-876-6275 • www.r-ahec.org

Learn more.

The National Strategy for the Home Visiting Workforce

A comprehensive effort to strengthen and grow the home visiting workforce. The strategy focuses on building clear career pathways, investing in professional development opportunities, and supporting workforce well-being.

Read the full report. 

Please share your health care workforce updates

If you have workforce updates to share, or any feedback or ideas for this newsletter, please contact Melissa Wendland at melissa.wendland@commongroundhealth.org.

Please share this newsletter with others in your organization who might benefit and encourage them to sign up to receive it. 
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