As part of its 2027-29 budget request to the Legislature, the Universities of Wisconsin said Monday it needs $90 million to train 35,000 new healthcare workers and address projected shortages over the next decade, according to a report in the Wisconsin State Journal.
The UW system is trying to address a dearth of healthcare workers, according to Renée Wachter, interim president of the system.
A 2023 report by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development estimated the state’s nursing vacancy rate at about 9% to 10%.
The shortage is particularly acute in rural areas. One-third of Wisconsinites live in rural communities, but only one-tenth of Wisconsin doctors practice medicine in rural communities, according to UW-Madison Provost John Zumbrunnen.
The UW Board of Regents is expected to vote on the UW System’s full budget proposal when it meets in Madison on Aug. 20 and 21.
