Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was in central New York Thursday, bringing news of some welcome federal funds that aim to boost health care. Part of the $12 million Schumer secured will go toward training the next generation of healthcare workers at Onondaga Community College.
Schumer said $2 million will let OCC create a state-of-the-art hospital simulation and education training center.
"OCC will be able to support hands-on learning with fully equipped patient rooms," Schumer said. "Simulations for everything from drug dispensary to emergency room care as well. Everything that’s done at a hospital and the new facilities will support OCC as it adds new programs.”
There has been a 600% increase in mental health needs among the children and youth of Cortland County since the pandemic, according to County Legislator Sandy Price.
"In the last year we used some of our American rescue funds for that," Price said. "We budgeted additional money specifically for that which was unprecedented. We’re trying to address it but the need is greater than our resources."
So Price said she is thankful for thealmost $3 million in federal funds that will transform a vacant downtown building into a new state-of-the-art mental health facility.
"We’re short of nurses," Schumer said. "We’re short of health care workers and now Onondaga Community College with this grant will fill that gap."
Loretto CEO Kimberly Townsend said she is glad to hear that. Her healthcare facility currently has 600 job openings.
"We all have many, many open positions and most of them are clinical positions," Townsend said. "We know we need to expand our talent pool and this project’s going to allow us to do that."
Others receiving funding: $2 million to SUNY Upstate Medical Center split between a new Suicide Prevention Center and Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Treatment Center, and $2 million for construction of a new skilled nursing home for Valley Health Services in Herkimer.
OCC expects this facility and new programs can double the current enrollment in health care careers. Other funds aim to boost mental health programs across the area and increase the number of residency slots at hospitals.
