Nursing Shortage Program

Nursing Shortage Program

A shortage of qualified nurses is occurring nationwide, in Colorado and the Northern Colorado region.  Recognizing the need for acute nursing talent, Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development (LCEWD) received a grant from the Economic Development Administration to fund a nursing shortage program manager position for the next three years.

The position will help connect various training institutions with our healthcare system and may assist sector partners to identify potential funding streams and opportunities to assist with solutions to the nursing shortage in Northern Colorado.

Introducing Carol Salter, Nursing Shortage Program Manager

Carol Salter joins LCEWD as the first Nursing Shortage Program Manager. Salter brings 26 years of healthcare leadership experience to the position with a deep commitment to the Northern Colorado region.

Personally, Carol holds a Master of Science in Health Care Administration and is a continuing student of healthcare policy, Notary Law, history, current politics, and her own Scandinavian and Celtic heritage. She is married to artist, RM Salter and they have one daughter, Gabrielle, son in law Nathan and grandson Silas and another grandson to arrive in July. Carol enjoys searching for the “perfect” breakfast diner and will go to great lengths to find it.

Carol's First Year

Carol has spent the first year of her role in discovery. In her first year because of conversations with healthcare leadership, she has successfully produced, through the Northern Colorado Health Sector Partnership Nurse Consortium, a Nurse Well Being conference attended by over 150 nurses. This was done to address retention and engagement as identified as a need by healthcare systems in NOCO. 

• She has interviewed over a hundred healthcare leaders in Northern Colorado to understand their position and challenges.
• She has worked with academic institutions to learn about their processes and the challenges they face with declining enrollment, lack of faculty and clinical rotation resources.
• She has reviewed the current legislative landscape and how regulatory agencies impact academic partners and licensure.
• She has testified on proposed legislation that will address equity for those who wish to go into nursing but have been financially prohibited.
• She has also worked on healthcare workforce housing issues. She has interviewed systems who have built workforce housing, identified potential partners and sites, and is currently working with several banking institutions to offer a housing product for the nursing workforce.

Carol's Second Year
In year two, Carol began work with Gig nursing, researching the viability of it and promoting the concept to NOCO health systems in both acute and long-term care. She is also working on re-engaging retired nurses or those who have left nursing early to come back to their profession. She is also working with the K-12 partners in NOCO in promoting a robust healthcare workforce pipeline. She is also working on Opportunity Now Grant funding opportunities with NOCO Health Sector Partnership.  

She participates on Nursing Advisory Boards at Front Range Community College and the University of Northern Colorado. Carol also participates in several statewide nursing initiatives and the Board of the Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence. She will continue to support the County's efforts to improve our community's economic viability by connecting people to meaningful work and businesses to talent and resources.
 

The Nursing Shortage Program is part of the Larimer County Economic Development Team's program of work. Learn more about Economic Development Services and the Economic Development Team.