Department of Education funding was requested by Senator Reverend Warnock and Congresswoman Lucy McBath

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I’m acutely aware of the stress that our brave health care workforce has been under these last several years, which is why I was proud to partner with Rep. McBath in helping to secure funds to fuel the next generation of nurses and help us all better tackle the health care challenges we face”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-07) announced that $500,000 will be awarded to Emory University. This money will fund an apprenticeship program in the School of Nursing and is a direct result of the Senator’s joint efforts with Congresswoman McBath to expand access to affordable health care and support workforce development through Georgia’s nationally recognized colleges and universities. Senator Warnock and Congresswoman McBath made a Fiscal Year 2023 Community Project Funding/Congressionally-Directed Spending request for this funding.

“Long before I was in the Senate, I’ve been working to address inequities in our health care system, and I’ve been steadfast in working to end disparities in health care access and health outcomes,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “I’m acutely aware of the stress that our brave health care workforce has been under these last several years, which is why I was proud to partner with Rep. McBath in helping to secure funds to fuel the next generation of nurses and help us all better tackle the health care challenges we face.”

“This award from the Department of Education will ensure that Emory University continues to be a preeminent institution to equip the next generation of nurses,” Congresswoman Lucy McBath said.“My mother was a hospital nurse, and I grew up watching the heart and soul she poured into patient care. I have witnessed the instrumental role nurses play in our nation’s healthcare system. They worked on the frontlines through a bitter pandemic and continue to standby to save lives in ICUs and operating rooms across the nation. I was proud to support this Community Project Funding request with Senator Warnock and I look forward to hearing the stories of future nurses who will succeed with the support this money will provide.” 

“This award will provide a great opportunity for students in our prelicensure programs,” said Linda McCauley, PhD, RN, FAAN, FRCN, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory. “This apprenticeship experience will prepare our students for careers of exceptional care—and equip them with the agency and confidence to stay in the field, positively affecting nursing retention and workforce development. We are grateful to our federal partners and legislators for seeing this need and contributing to this important work.”

Senator Warnock is a steadfast champion of bolstering health care access for all Georgians. As a pastor and legislator, Senator Warnock has consistently been on the front lines fighting to expand Medicaid and close the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia as well as in the nine other holdout states. The Senator secured $500,000 in Congressionally-directed spending funds for Albany Technical College Allied Health Workforce to address Albany’s unprecedented nursing shortage by recruiting and educating more nursing students. Senator Warnock also successfully capped the cost of insulin for seniors and is working to make insulin affordable for all Georgians. He recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would help curb hospital closures in rural communities and is urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take action and address short-term limited duration insurance plans, or junk plans, which fail to provide comprehensive health insurance coverage. Additionally, last December, Senator Warnock secured $746 million in federal funding for teaching hospitals in Georgia to expand and strengthen the health care workforce, including communities with health care workforce shortages. 

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