By Elizabeth Bassett
During a tour & news conference earlier this week at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced a list of health care job issues to be studied in preparation for the 2011 legislative session. Dewhursts State Senate interim charges are for several committees and he said he intends to focus on creating stable high-paying health care professionals jobs as well as increases access to care.
The Senate Finance Committee is charged with monitoring faculty recruitment and retention at state nursing schools and looking at the impact of increasing state funding to schools to up salaries and add new teaching schools.
The Health & Human Services Committee is to study the states current and future needs for health care professionals.
The Economic Development Committee is to create recommendations about improving and enhancing health care-related workforce development in the sate.
The Business and Commerce Committee is charged with studying career-focused education and workforce training programs to ensure they meet business and worker needs as well as to make recommendations about any actions.
For a complete list of Dewhursts interim charges visit the Lt. Governors Website at
www.LtGov.state.tx.us.
