LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A statewide shortage of hospital staff is growing in Kentucky. More than 8,000 full-time positions are sitting empty, leaving a 12% vacancy rate across the state, according to the Kentucky Hospital Association.
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is stepping in, awarding $4.3 million to 28 health care programs, including Bellarmine University in Louisville.
“When they walk out, it is 100% tuition,” said Heather Owens, the dean of the nursing nchool at Bellarmine. “And so they walk out without debt from these programs and they can really start their career on”…