COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Controlling Board has released $730,186 to Youngstown State University for workforce training technology and improvements to the university’s buildings.
YSU will receive $310,116 in funding for specialized training equipment for workforce training at the university and local career centers. This funding is through the Regionally Aligned Priorities in Delivering Skills program, which the Department of Higher Education uses to invest in programs that help with verified workforce demands in various areas of the state.
YSU will use the funds to purchase virtual welding equipment to support students pursuing an associate’s degree in welding. Other centers will use the funds for scenario-based first responder training, nursing and allied health simulations and diagnostic equipment and EMS and nursing equipment to support training on industry-standard resuscitation technologies with integrated cardiac monitoring, defibrillation, pacing and CPR quality feedback.
“I am excited to see YSU embrace the newest forms of technology in order to train students for the workforce,” state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-58th, said in announcing the funds Wednesday. “I think this investment will give students the opportunity to experience trainings in innovative, safe ways and help create an even stronger pipeline of graduates ready to succeed.”
YSU will also receive $420,070 through a higher education improvement fund for window and door replacement.
Health Care
The Controlling Board also released funds for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which will be appropriated $202 million each fiscal year and will fund 11 rural health opportunities including the rural health workforce pipeline, Healthier Ohio initiatives, rural Ohio emergency care, OhioSEE rural expansion, pharmacy electronic medical records access, Ohio rural health innovation hubs, rural hospital training/technical assistance center, rural health equipment, rural maternal health, rural health program implementation and the Ohio rural school-based health centers.
The goal of the program is to enhance health care access, quality and outcomes in rural communities in Ohio and nationwide.
“No matter where you live in Ohio, you should have access to quality care,” McNally said. “The Mahoning Valley is no stranger to hospital closures, and making sure we have a system that supports hospital staff, like doctors and nurses, and their patients is vital to making sure the Valley stays healthy and a place where people want to live and work.”
The United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has provided this new federal funding opportunity to the Ohio Department of Health. The Rural Health Transformation Program aims to strengthen the rural health care delivery system through innovative, systemwide improvements that ensure long-term sustainability. It focuses on expanding access to care, ensuring sustainability of rural health providers and supporting workforce development to attract and retain skilled professionals. The program grew from the more than 100 rural hospitals that have closed over the past decade.