More Than $3 Million for UMaine Ph.D. Nursing Program Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $3,057,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine (UMaine) to develop a doctoral nursing program in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“Increased access to education for future health care workers is crucial, particularly in Maine where we are facing an increasing shortage of health care professionals,” said Senator Collins. “By increasing the number of nurse educators in Maine, the creation of the first Ph.D. nursing program at UMaine would help strengthen our health care workforce. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“We are deeply appreciative of Senator Collins’ continued leadership in securing federal funding to improve health care in our state, including through investments in University of Maine System simulation that have increased our public universities’ nursing enrollment and output of highly qualified nurses. The opening of Maine's first Ph.D. nursing program at the R1 University of Maine would transform the state’s ability to address the critical shortage of nurse faculty, enabling us to further enhance and expand nursing education and high-quality, evidence-based care," said University of Maine Director of Nursing Kelley Strout.
UMaine’s proposed Ph.D. in nursing program would be the first in northern New England. Classes would be taught by accredited experts and would provide students with education surrounding health care disparities and limited access to care. Students would engage in evidence-based projects and collaborate with community programs and health care partners through their Ph.D. dissertations.
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY24 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $500 million for hundreds of Maine projects for FY2022 and FY2023. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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