Workforce Support and Retention

Page Updated: March 11, 2024

CHA Advocacy Principle: Support a robust health care workforce and value health care workers through safe and supportive work environments.

What Has Been Completed:

Origin: One of CHA’s primary focuses in the 2022 legislative session was to invest in both short-term and long-term policies to support current health care workers as well as strengthen the health care workforce pipeline through passage of Senate Bill (SB) 22-226. Workforce investments continue to be a top priority for the Association.

Background: SB 22-226 $61 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support the health care workforce, the state’s largest investment in today’s health care heroes and the future health care workforce. The bill’s programs focus on the wellbeing, education, training, recruitment, and retention of health care workers. Additionally, the bill requires CDPHE to create a statewide data sharing system to better allocate resources and inform decision makers of health care workforce planning initiatives, as well as expands the scope of the recommendations required by the Nurse-Physician Advisory Task Force for Colorado Healthcare (NPATCH).

Care Forward Colorado: SB 22-226 dedicates $26 million in ARPA funds to train health care workers. Starting in fall 2022, students who enroll in one of the following health care certificate programs will have tuition, fees, and course materials covered as Care Forward Colorado funding allows.

      • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
      • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
      • Phlebotomy Technician
      • Pharmacy Technician
      • Medical Assistant
      • Dental Assistant
      • Nurse Refresher
      • Integrative Health Practitioner & Massage Therapy
      • Sterile Processing
      • Paramedic Certificate
      • Echocardiography Certificate
      • Medical Billing and Coding
      • Medical Office Certificate

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Colorado Practice-based Health Education Grant Program:
SB 22-226 dedicates $20 million in ARPA funds to:

      • Increase practice-based training opportunities necessary for health professions students enrolled in accredited Colorado schools to complete degree requirements and become licensed to practice; or,
      • Allow program participants enrolled in other training or residency programs offered by a public or nonprofit Colorado medical school or residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to gain hands-on experience in pursuit of a license in the health care field.

This work is implemented by the Primary Care Office within CDPHE.

Eligible applicants: Private for-profit, public, or nonprofit organizations that seek to increase clinical practice-based training capacity and quality programs for health professions students. This includes health care employers, accredited education organizations, health care education training programs, Colorado medical schools, and ACGME-accredited residency programs.

View RFA #41324 and other materials here. Applications must be submitted no later than July 31 to be considered for the second funding cohort. Additional information can be found here.

Colorado Alliance for Resilient and Equitable Systems (CO-CARES): CO-CARES connects health care and public health workers, their teams, and their organizations to a variety of resources and tools that support recovery, improve wellbeing, and foster resilience. The initiative is made possible due to a collaborative partnership with CDPHE, the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience; University of Colorado Department of Psychiatry; University of Colorado School of Public Health; Colorado Hospital Association; and Switchback Institute. As new resources and opportunities become available through the CO-CARES program, CHA will continue to update members to ensure meaningful engagement with hospital-specific initiatives. Additional information on CO-CARES can be found here. 

Healthcare Workers Recruitment and Re-engagement Fund:

  • CDPHE’s RFA is designed to incentivize and assist employers in the recruitment of health care professionals to employment in long-term care facilities (LTCF), facilities with a Facility Healthcare Professional Shortage Area federal designation, and home-care agencies. If a facility successfully recruits a licensed or certified professional who works a minimum of 20 hours per week on average and for a minimum of six months, the facility is eligible to receive a one-time payment of $20,000 per professional. Eligible organizations and the list health care professionals that qualify can be found here.

Resources: 

Meetings/Dates of Note:

    • Monday, Jun. 30, 2025 – Deadline that the appropriated funds must be spent

CHA Staff Contact: Bridget Frazier, CHA senior manager of public policy, [email protected]