WASHINGTON - HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced $159.1 million in grants to health care workforce training programs. These grants build on the multimillion dollar investments made under the Affordable Care Act and Recovery Act to strengthen and grow our primary care workforce. The grants will target three types of programs: Nursing Workforce Development programs; interdisciplinary geriatric education and training programs; and Centers of Excellence programs for underrepresented minority students. “We cannot build a healthier America if our country continues to face a growing health professions shortage,” said Secretary Sebelius. “A well-trained, educated and diverse workforce is critical to meeting future health care demands, and to reforming the nation’s health care system.” “These grants target key workforce needs,” said Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “In addition to training new health care workers, these grants will support efforts to better prepare health care workers to care for our diverse and aging population, improving health care quality for all Americans.” Nursing Workforce Development Nursing Workforce Development programs will receive $106 million in grants to support all levels of nursing education. Interdisciplinary Geriatric Education and Training Eighty-five awards totaling $29.5 million will fund three geriatric education and training programs at accredited health professions schools. Centers for Excellence Grants Eighteen awards totaling $23.6 million were announced to support Centers of Excellence programs that are designed to improve the recruitment and performance of underrepresented minority students preparing for health professions careers. “The program supports activities to develop an educational pipeline to enhance academic performance of underrepresented minority students. It supports underrepresented minority faculty development, facilitates research on health issues particularly affecting underrepresented minority groups, and provides training to students at community-based health facilities for providing health services to underrepresented minority individuals." The awardees are schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health (including designated Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); graduate programs in behavioral health; and other public and nonprofit health or educational organizations. Secretary Sebelius will highlight the grants, which include both new and continuing grants, at the National Health Service Corps Conference today. The National Health Service Corps is another HRSA program which has seen new resources under the Obama administration to invest in America’s health care workforce in underrepresented areas. State by state charts of the grant awards are available athttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/08/state_charts.html.HHS Awards $159.1 Million to Support Health Care Workforce Training