Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - dallas college (DC) is a comprehensive community college that serves the residents of dallas county and the surrounding…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Dallas College $2.035 million (obligated of $2.451 million requested) on September 30, 2025, under the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Grants program (CFDA 93.359) to implement a comprehensive nursing workforce expansion initiative.

Dallas College will establish partnerships with local hospitals and facilities in Dallas County to provide their non-nursing employees pathways to earn an associate degree in nursing, with the goal of increasing enrollment, retention, and completion by 5–10 percent among students from underrepresented backgrounds. The project addresses critical nursing shortages in acute care and long-term care settings by creating intentional career ladders for hospital employees while expanding diversity in the nursing workforce. Participants will receive training emphasizing social determinants of health and health disparities, and will gain additional clinical experience in acute care and long-term care settings through hospital partnerships.

The award runs from September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2029, with place of performance in Texas. Dallas College, located at 1601 Botham Jean Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75215, serves approximately 85,000 credit and 20,000 continuing education students per semester across seven physical campuses and multiple learning centers in Dallas County. The project supports enrollment of associate degree-prepared nurses from disadvantaged populations, including economically disadvantaged and other underrepresented groups.

Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - dallas college (DC) is a comprehensive community college that serves the residents of dallas county and the surrounding area in north central texas. Since its establishment in 1965, DC has grown to seven physical campuses and multiple learning and educational centers across the county. DC enrolls a total of 85,000 credit and 20,000 continuing education students each semester. The district office is located at 1601 botham jean blvd. Dallas, texas 75215. The website address of the college is https://WWW.dallascollege.EDU/pages/default.aspx. DC is requesting $2,451,013 over a four-year period to fund the implementation of a comprehensive program designed to increase the diversity of the nursing workforce in dallas county. The goal of the project is to create partnerships with local hospitals/facilities to provide their non-nursing employees an opportunity to attend college and obtain an associate degree in nursing. This goal will provide participants with intentional career pathways to increase the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds who enroll in and graduate from the nursing program. This initiative will help address the critical shortage of nurses within the acute care and long-term care settings. Project goals: 1. Increase in enrollment (by 5-10%), retention and completion of students from underrepresented backgrounds in the DC associate degree nursing program through partnerships with local hospitals/facilities. 2. Improve understanding and application of social determinants of health (sdoh) and other health disparities faced by community members. 3. Create meaningful partnerships with local hospitals/facilities to provide students with additional training in the acute care and long-term care setting, developing an internal ladder for their employees. 4. Support enrollment of associate degree prepared nurses from disadvantaged populations (such as economically-disadvantaged, bilingual/english language learners, or those from medically underserved areas) into dallas college's RN to bachelor of nursing program from partnering hospitals/facilities. DC proposes a project period of september 30, 2024 to september 29, 2028. The first cycle of the project will begin with fall 2024 semester. Each semester a new cohort will be admitted to the program through our partnerships. The project will be partnered with two or more facilities and serve a minimum of 48 participants in the first year. Each proceeding semester a new cohort of 8 participants with each partnered facility will be admitted. A minimum of 120 participants served over the four years with data-driven interventions and supports such as RN and peer mentors, financial support, tutoring, and modules on sdoh with a better understanding of barriers faced by those they will serve. DC proposes to address funding priority 2 as DC is a public entity in the state of texas. Additionally, DC proposes to address funding preference "substantially benefits underserved populations" meeting the qualifications of being a federally designated medically underserved area (MUA). The project has been designed by the DC school of health sciences, under the leadership of DR. Tetsuya umebayashi, vice provost of the school of health sciences. The proposed project will be managed by DR. Umebayashi, along with the dean of nursing, DR. Cherlyn shultz ruth and a project assistant director. The assistant director, who will supervise the project daily, will be a registered nurse who will be hired upon the notice of the award. DR. Umebayashi has served as a nursing educator and administrator for 15 years. He can be reached at