“We’re here today because we think Temple can be a model for the rest of the Commonwealth when it comes to how we invest in bringing people into nursing and how we retain our nurses,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro told attendees at a press conference at Temple Women & Families on March 6th.
Governor Shapiro was there to announce that he would be investing $5 million, as part of his proposed 2025-26 budget, into the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program: an initiative modeled on the Temple Nursing Scholars Program, which guarantees nursing students a job and pays back their student debt while they train at our Health System. In return, students commit to working at Temple Health for three years post-graduation, earning a full salary and benefits.
“In our budget proposal, we’re taking concrete steps to recruit more nurses to Pennsylvania, and to build on our foundation and that of institutions that are doing it right, like Temple,” Governor Shapiro said. “Temple is already doing incredible work in this space: they’ve started an initiative that we want to emulate and build up all across Pennsylvania.”
“Hospitals win, because they get a guaranteed workforce of trained nurses that they can rely on,” he explained. “And nursing students win, because they get their costs offset for their education, and they know they have a path to success in a field they love.”
“There are expected to be 20,000 nursing job vacancies across Pennsylvania by 2026,” Governor Shapiro continued. “The time to act is now. That’s why I put my budget proposal forward, that’s why this team is working so hard to get it passed, and that’s why we’re here at Temple today.”
“This Program Has Truly Been a Life-Changer”
Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, Temple Health’s President & CEO, noted at the press conference that while Temple Health’s nursing turnover is less than half of national benchmarks—including our retention numbers for first-year nurses—we’re always looking to bring talented nurses to our hospitals. And the Temple Nursing Scholars Program is supercharging those recruitment efforts.
“In just the first several months, we’ve received interest in the program from nearly 200 aspiring nursing professionals entering RN and CRNA roles from our 18 partner schools in the Commonwealth,” Chaudron Carter Short, PhD, EdD, MHA, MHEd, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Temple Health’s Executive Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive, told attendees at the press conference, drawing applause. “In that timeframe, we’ve filled nearly 50% of the program’s first year quota.”
One of the students currently enrolled in the Nursing Scholars Program is Maura Cabry, who will be starting her nursing career at Temple Health this summer. “As a nursing student, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to not only enter a profession that I’m passionate about, but also to do so with a sense of security and purpose, thanks to the incredible support of this program,” said Cabry, who also spoke at the press conference, with Gov. Shapiro at her side.
“For me, this program has truly been a life-changer,” she continued. “It has provided me with the unique opportunity to enter the nursing profession, not just with excitement and enthusiasm, but with a sense of financial peace. The burden of student loan debt is something many of us fear, but knowing that I have a position guaranteed here at Temple, with the added benefit of having my student debt paid back, has completely transformed the trajectory of my career and my life.”
“It’s not just a job,” Cabry told attendees. “It’s a commitment that frees me to focus on what truly matters: caring for patients and growing in this field. I’m thrilled to be joining Temple: a Health System with such an incredibly deep commitment to this community. As I stand here today, I can say with confidence that the Nursing Scholars Program has given me more than just a path to my career. It’s given me a sense of purpose, a deep connection to the community I will serve, and allowed me to become the best nurse I can possibly be. Thank you again for making this possible, and for investing in my future and in the future of healthcare.”
Addressing Tomorrow’s Challenges, Today
“I want more Mauras across Pennsylvania,” Governor Shapiro told the crowd. “And to that end, we’re investing $5 million in my budget to build on the success of what Temple has done here, and to create strong pipelines like this across Pennsylvania, so we can have more Mauras across the Commonwealth.”
It’s an inspiring vision, with a clear plan for addressing one of Pennsylvania’s most pressing workforce development priorities. “In Pennsylvania, we’ve shown an ability to solve problems,” Governor Shapiro said. “An ability to bring people together to tackle these big challenges. To see problems on the horizon and to address them today so they don’t become crises tomorrow.”
“This is the next big thing we have to solve,” he continued. “And Temple provides us with a great example that we can now lift up across this Commonwealth to make sure that we have enough nurses—not just here in Philly, but all across Pennsylvania—to deal with the healthcare challenges of tomorrow. So Temple, I want to thank you for being leaders in this space.”
