Across New Hampshire, severe workforce shortages are impacting Granite Staters’ access to health care. Patients are facing lengthy wait times and traveling long distances to get the care they need when they need it. With many job vacancies across the state, there remains a strong need to invest in programs that foster a future health care workforce within the Granite State.
SB 244 builds on the New Hampshire Health Care Workforce Coalition's work to address the health care workforce crisis in New Hampshire that impacts access to quality and timely health care for Granite Staters.
About the Bill
SB 244 aims to increase access to care by growing the state’s health care workforce. This includes key investments in programs and initiatives that attract, train, and retain health care professionals here in the Granite State. Some of the programs include:
- Health Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Hub: Creates a Public-Private Health Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Hub to develop a pipeline of skilled health care professionals. This partnership would help ensure all communities—particularly those in rural and underserved areas—have access to essential health services.
- Rural Residency Program: Creates opportunities for doctors to work in rural and underserved areas by investing in the Family Medicine Residency Program in the North Country. Currently, there are no family medicine residency programs north of Concord.
- NH Needs Caregivers: Supports the NH Needs Caregivers program through the Southern NH Area Health Education Center to recruit and train caregivers across our state.
Investments in these initiatives, among many others, will help ensure that every New Hampshire resident has access to high-quality care, both now and in the future.
New Futures has worked alongside the New Hampshire Health Care Workforce Coalition since 2018 to address systemic health care workforce shortages that limit access to care for New Hampshire patients.
Take Action
Email Your Senator
Share Your Story - Patient
Share Your Story - Health Care Worker
Spread the Word: One-Pager
Download and share the NH Health Care Workforce Coalition's one-pager on SB 244: Investing in NH's Health Care Workforce
Bill Status
The Senate passed SB 244 with amendment, sending it to the Senate Finance Committee for further review as it has funding components. The Senate Finance Committee unanimously voted on a recommendation to pass the bill, advancing it to the Senate floor for another vote. Email your Senator to urge them to support investments in our health care workforce!
Although the amendment removes some provisions, it still includes many key pieces like the Health Care Workforce Recruitment and Retention Hub, Medicaid reimbursement rate increases for opioid treatment providers, and support for NH Needs Caregivers, among others.
Bill Progress
February 5: Senate Health and Human Services Committee Hearing
March 6: Senate Health and Human Services Committee recommends to pass the bill with amendment in a 5-0 vote
March 13: NH Senate passes SB 244 unanimously by voice vote
March 18: Senate Finance Committee recommends to pass the bill in a 6-0 vote
Next: Senate Vote (scheduled for Thursday, March 27)
.png?resize=360x0){kind=icon}
