January 13, 2025 Louisiana Department of Health announces $15 million in funding to train healthcare workforceApplications due January 31: H.E.R.O. Fund provides matching grants to institutions working to grow the state's healthcare pipeline

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jan 13, 2025 - The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announces $15 million in funding available to help train tomorrow’s healthcare workforce. The Healthcare Employment Reinvestment Opportunity (H.E.R.O.) Fund provides matching grants to universities, technical colleges, healthcare systems, hospitals, agencies and associations working to grow the healthcare pipeline in Louisiana. 

“Nationwide, and especially here in Louisiana, we are facing serious healthcare workforce shortages, and Governor Landry and LDH are committed to addressing that head-on. The H.E.R.O. Fund is a wonderful funding opportunity that we expect to have real impact,” said LDH Undersecretary Drew Maranto. “We are hoping to get applications from eligible institutions and their industry partners to expand programs in high-demand workforce areas, including nursing, allied health and behavioral health. This funding is an important step to bolster our healthcare industry and improve access to care for our residents, especially those in underserved areas.”

The H.E.R.O. Fund was created in 2021 to increase the capacity of nursing and allied health programs. Managed by the Louisiana Board of Regents and HealthWorks Commission, the fund initially awarded about $4 million in grants to support one program in each region of the state.

In 2024, Rep. Brach Myers (R-Lafayette) brought new legislation, shifting the direction of the program to LDH and broadening the program’s scope to reach as many people and institutions as possible. It now supports projects that aim to:

• Meet local, regional or state workforce demands for high-demand healthcare professions,
• Increase capacity and student enrollment in identified healthcare credentials,
• Increase program completion and/or exam/certification pass rates,
• Provide incentives that financially support students (i.e., stipends or tuition forgiveness) upon employment in Louisiana healthcare facilities or training programs,
• Provide incentives for high-demand healthcare professionals to practice in Louisiana with an emphasis on medically underserved areas,
• Support dual enrollment programs between high school career and technical programs and other healthcare programs,
• Support strategies for healthcare organizations to increase career pathways, internships and apprenticeship programs, and
• Raise awareness of and interest in a broad variety of healthcare occupations and reduce the barriers to access to the healthcare programs necessary to pursue these occupations, including financial barriers.

"Investing in the growth of our healthcare workforce is not just about meeting today's needs; it's also about preparing for the future. A strong healthcare workforce is the backbone of a healthy society, ensuring that every community has access to quality care through trained professionals. Through this new program that earned overwhelming support from the Legislature, we have built a public-private partnership model that allows providers on the frontline of the workforce crisis to become a meaningful part of the solution, allowing for their ideas and investment to be deployed to bring positive impact to this important challenge,” said Rep. Myers. 

The H.E.R.O. Fund seeks grant applications from healthcare training and education programs and healthcare industry partners to meet growing employment demands. A funding match (monies or in-kind contributions) by a healthcare industry partner equal to the grant award is required.

Training must benefit students and healthcare organizations within the state of Louisiana. High-demand areas include but are not limited to certified nursing assistants, paramedics, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, certified medical assistants, primary care providers, nurse practitioners, licensed professional counselors, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, radiology technologists and more.

LDH plans to announce grant awardees in March. 

Visit ldh.la.gov/HERO for applications and information. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 31.