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Senate panel hears push for $5 million to expand Oregon public-health workforce training
Summary
Supporters told the Senate Committee on Health Care that Senate Bill 161 would route $5 million to three statewide organizations to continue scholarships and training for community health workers, community paramedics and local public-health staff after a federal HRSA grant ends.
Senators on the Senate Committee on Health Care heard testimony Jan. 28 that Senate Bill 161 would direct $5 million to statewide partners to sustain and expand training and scholarships for community health workers, community paramedics and local public-health staff.
Supporters said the bill would continue work launched with a $1.5 million federal HRSA grant that trained hundreds of Oregonians for public-health roles and that the funding is needed as the grant expires in July.
Why it matters: Testifiers told the committee that Oregon faces chronic vacancies in mission-critical local public-health positions, worsening after the COVID-19 pandemic, and that community-based recruitment and scholarships are key to filling roles—especially in rural counties where housing and credential gaps impede hiring.
Sarah Lochner, executive director of the Oregon Coalition of Health Officials (CLO), told the committee CLO used a $1.5 million, three-year…
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