Tackling the Healthcare Crisis in Rochester: Monroe County’s Fight to Address Shortage of Nursing Home Beds and Workforce Shortage in the Industry

Rochester, NY – The healthcare system in Monroe County is currently facing a crisis due to the shortage of nursing home beds. This has led to a backlog of patients in local hospitals and News10NBC has been reporting on this issue for several months. In response to this crisis, County Executive Adam Bello addressed the problem during his “State of the County Health Care” address on Monday.

Bello announced that Monroe County has allocated $16.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding towards two programs aimed at addressing the workforce shortage in the healthcare industry: the “Transformational Community Care Coordination Program” and “Community Care Coordination Program.” These programs are a collaboration between Monroe Community Hospital and Finger Lakes Provider System, focusing on workforce development for certified nursing assistants, home health aides, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses.

Bello emphasized that many of these workforce programs are available at no cost to individuals looking to enter the healthcare field. Barriers such as childcare, transportation, tuition, and certification costs are being removed to make it easier for people to pursue careers in healthcare. The goal is to train hundreds of healthcare workers over the next few years, but Bello acknowledges that the county cannot tackle this issue alone.

In order for the healthcare system to be sustainable in the future, Bello stressed the need for an increase in the Medicaid reimbursement rate to match the rising costs faced by the industry. He is also seeking support from