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CSCU healthcare task force asks board for $20 million to expand clinical programs and shore up workforce pipeline
Summary
A task force led by CT State and system health leaders presented a report asking the Board of Regents to seek $20 million to strengthen clinical programs, expand high-demand pathways such as nursing and respiratory care, and address clinical placement, faculty recruitment, and equipment needs.
At the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents meeting in January 2025, President John Maduco and representatives of a newly formed healthcare task force presented a report and a systemwide funding request intended to strengthen clinical programs and address a statewide health-care workforce shortage.
The report identifies a broad set of workforce challenges in Connecticut and recommends a $20,000,000 funding request to support systemwide initiatives, including faculty recruitment and retention for clinical programs, replacement and modernization of clinical and simulation equipment, centralized coordination of clinical placements and admissions, scholarships and outreach to improve equity, and development of flexible pathways for nontraditional learners.
President John Maduco introduced the task force and listed institutional and external contributors. He said CSCU institutions "play a significant role in the health care education and training space" and that the system produces a large share of the state's health-care professionals. The task force documented a high level of unmet demand: presenters told the board there are roughly 20,000 job openings in Connecticut's health-care sector.
Dr. Sandra Bulmer, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University, who co-chaired the task force effort, urged investment in the existing portfolio of clinical programs. "If you don't take anything else away from today, please know that they are one of CSCU's greatest assets," she said, referring to the faculty and staff who design and deliver clinical instruction. The task force highlighted outcomes data compiled for the board: for some nursing and allied-health cohorts, three-quarter employment and entry-level median earnings cited in the presentation were in ranges that task-force members said demonstrate both student upward mobility and in-state retention.
The report also detailed operational challenges: a competitive market for clinical placements and for licensed clinical faculty who can command higher wages in hospitals and health systems; the cost and short replacement lifecycle of clinical equipment and simulation technology; and the grant-funded nature of many recent expansions that may not be sustainable after external funding ends.
Recommendations to the board include a $20 million advocacy request for the governor and legislature, pursuit of employer match funding and philanthropy, centralized clinical-placement coordination across the system, scaling of high-demand programs with attention to equity and accessibility, and targeted investments in faculty and instructional technology. The task force asked that curricular and pedagogical decisions remain with campus faculty and governance processes while the system advocates for resources to sustain and expand capacity.
Board reaction was supportive of further work. Regent Balducci and other regents asked for more detail on how state and employer contributions would be structured. Regents and task-force members noted past grants (for example, health-horizon and other federal funds) had supported rapid growth but also left sustainability questions when grant periods end.
Ending: The board will carry the report into committee review and advocacy discussions; the task force urged the board to include the $20 million request in its upcoming system budget advocacy to the legislature.
