Health Care Clinical Opportunities & Credentials

Department of Health and Human Services

Allocation: $1,900,000

Status: Active

Health care employs more workers than any other job sector in Maine, yet critical worker shortages existed in Maine prior to the pandemic and have been exacerbated by it. These shortages limit access to quality care, particularly in behavioral health and long-term care; increase costs; and affect Maine's ability to attract talented workers since quality health care is often a priority for relocation.

The Department of Health and Human Services will collaborate with Maine's health care institutions to expand clinical training opportunities in rural health care settings. The program will offer health care providers incentives to serve as preceptor instructors for students requiring clinical hours as part of their professional education and to develop residency programs that grow the number of physicians practicing in rural communities. To increase the portability of health care credentials so that workers may more quickly progress in their fields, the Department will assess, update, and standardize training curricula and certificate requirements across Maine's health care system.