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 the Senate Finance Committee
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 NH Senate voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 244, then tabled the bill for possible inclusion in the state budget bills when they cross over from the House.
The House-passed budget proposal included several cuts to critical funding across key health care areas. These cuts include a 3% decrease to Medicaid reimbursement rates, reduced funding for mental health services, changes to the funding structure of the Alcohol Fund, defunding of the developmental disability waitlist, and more. These cuts will have wide-ranging negative impacts, limiting access to essential services for many Granite Staters in need. Learn more from the NH Health Care Workforce's press conference and press coverage.
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
March 27: Senate votes unanimously to pass the bill and then tables the bill for possible inclusion in the state budget
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