A new five-year state program includes Mohawk Valley Health System, Rome Memorial Hospital and Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital among 33 organizations receiving support for healthcare training grants and health care workforce training.
Three Mohawk Valley health systems are among 33 organizations selected for a statewide healthcare training grants and health care workforce training program backed by $32.5 million in state awards, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Oct. 21.
Mohawk Valley Health System, Rome Memorial Hospital and Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital appear on the state’s regional recipient list. The awards for healthcare training grants are part of the Increasing Training Capacity in Statewide Health Care Facilities program, which is intended to help hospitals, nursing homes and community health organizations prepare and retain workers.
The funding through healthcare training grants will enhance education and training opportunities in the healthcare sector.
The state says individual awards range from $500,000 to $1 million annually. The announcement lists the three local recipients but does not assign a specific amount to each one. The five-year award period runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2031.
The official state announcement says recipients may use funds for tuition and fees, instructor salaries, simulation laboratory equipment, wage subsidies and recruitment expenses.
Who received Mohawk Valley awards
The state’s Mohawk Valley list names:
- Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital
- Mohawk Valley Health System Inc.
- Rome Memorial Hospital
Those organizations serve different parts of the region and have different training needs. The state announcement does not provide a course-by-course plan for each recipient, so residents should not assume that every eligible use will be offered at every location.
Mohawk Valley Health System operates Wynn Hospital and other local facilities. Rome Health uses Rome Memorial Hospital as its legal hospital name in many official records. Bassett Medical Center and its network serve a large rural area that includes parts of the Mohawk Valley and neighboring counties.
The awards are directed to the institutions, not sent as checks to individual students. A resident interested in training should watch the employer’s career and education pages for specific openings, eligibility rules and application dates.
What the money can support
The program gives recipients several ways to expand training capacity. Tuition and fee support can lower a barrier for people entering a clinical or support occupation. Instructor funding can help an organization add training sections or maintain a program that lacks enough teaching staff.
Simulation laboratories allow students and current employees to practice procedures in a controlled setting before performing them in patient care. Equipment costs can be significant, especially when training must reflect current hospital technology.
Wage subsidies can also matter because unpaid or low-paid training is difficult for adults who have rent, food, transportation or child care expenses. Recruitment funds may help institutions reach people who have not traditionally had access to a health care career path.
The state has not said that every funded program will be free. It also has not published a single statewide application for prospective workers. Each recipient will decide how to use its award within the program rules and should explain those choices publicly as plans are finalized.
Why the awards matter locally
Health care is both a public service and a major source of employment in the Mohawk Valley. Training capacity affects whether hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and home care programs can fill positions with qualified workers. It also affects how easily a local resident can move from an entry-level job into a licensed or specialized role.
Workforce shortages are not solved by recruitment alone. Employers must also retain experienced workers, provide safe staffing, support continuing education and offer schedules and pay that make long-term employment possible. Training grants can build a pipeline, but working conditions determine whether people remain in the field.
The local awards may also create opportunities to connect hospitals with schools, colleges and workforce programs. SUNY Polytechnic Institute has long offered nursing education in Utica. The Phoenix previously reported on the institution’s School of Nursing designation and its regional nursing partnerships.
MVHS has also been expanding services outside the main hospital campus. A recent Phoenix report described its new outpatient surgery wing on Genesee Street. New facilities and changing models of care increase the need for training that matches the work employees will actually perform.
Statewide recipient list
The 33 recipients reach every region of New York. In the Capital Region, awards went to Ellis Hospital, Hudson Headwaters Health Network and St. Peter’s Hospital. Central New York recipients include Loretto Health and Rehabilitation, Seneca Hill Manor and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center.
Finger Lakes recipients are Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, Rochester General Hospital and the University of Rochester. Long Island recipients include Catholic Health System of Long Island, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, Parker Jewish Institute and the Rosalind and Joseph Gurwin Jewish Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
In the Mid-Hudson region, recipients are Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, Sun River Health and White Plains Hospital. New York City recipients include Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, Jewish Home Lifecare Manhattan, Montefiore Medical Center and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
North Country awards went to Carthage Area Hospital, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Samaritan Medical Center. Southern Tier recipients include Cayuga Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital and United Health Services Hospitals.
Western New York recipients are Catholic Health System, Jericho Road Community Health Center, The Chautauqua Center and UPMC Chautauqua at WCA.
What job seekers and students should watch for
The announcement creates a funding framework, not an immediate enrollment promise. Program details may emerge at different times because each institution will build or expand its own training activity.
Practical next steps
- Check the official career pages for MVHS, Rome Health and Bassett rather than relying on an unofficial job listing.
- Look for terms such as apprenticeship, tuition assistance, clinical training, paid training, residency or workforce development.
- Ask whether a program leads to a state license, national credential, college credit or only internal training.
- Confirm whether there is a work commitment after the employer pays tuition or wages.
- Request the total cost, schedule, location and required background checks before accepting an offer.
- Students should also ask local colleges whether credits from an employer program can apply toward a certificate or degree.
People already employed by one of the recipients should ask supervisors or human resources whether current workers will be eligible for advancement training. A program that only recruits new employees can miss people already doing essential work who are ready to build additional skills.
Measuring the results
Over five years, the public should be able to see more than the total amount awarded. Useful measures include how many people entered training, how many completed it, how many earned a recognized credential and how many remained employed after one or two years.
Results should also show whether rural communities and workers who face financial barriers gained access. Wage support, child care coordination and transportation assistance can determine whether a program is practical for a working adult, even when tuition is covered.
The Phoenix will follow the local recipients as they announce specific programs. Readers who learn of an enrollment window or employer-sponsored training opportunity at MVHS, Rome Health or Bassett are encouraged to share the official link so the information can reach more Mohawk Valley residents.
