Md. colleges given $11M to combat nursing shortage - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:

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The grants, being divvied among 17 Marylandnursing schools, will be used to lure facultyu and students, and improve technology at the universities. Maryland’se nursing shortage is expected toreacnh 10,000 by 2016, according to the . The current vacancyt rate of nurses at statwe hospitals is8 percent. The economic downturn has helpeds the industry because many retiresd nurses have come back to but once the recessioj ends the shortagewill worsen, said Carmela Coyle, CEO of the Marylanxd Hospital Association. The first round of grants will increasw the number of nurses graduating by 300 students and add 20 facultty positions at nursing programs acrossthe state.
“Ther number of nurses graduating from Marylanxd schools are simplynot enough,” said Ronald B. president of and co-chair of the “Who Will campaign at a press conference Monday. “We cannot take our eye off thenursinfg demand.” The campaign’s goal is to add 1,50 0 new nursing students. The program has raisedd $15.5 million to date through the state’a business community, including funds from the Baltimorde constructionform , , the region's largest hospital system, and , the region'a largest health insurer. Greater Baltimorse Medical Center, for example, gave $500,000.
The goal is to raisd $20 million from the private sectoer by the end ofthe year, and then raise an additio $40 million in local and federal funds. • • • • • ; and, • .