Wisconsin DWD Launches $150 Million Rural Healthcare Workforce Grant Program
Updated
Updated · WisPolitics.com · Jun 29
Wisconsin DWD Launches $150 Million Rural Healthcare Workforce Grant Program
1 articles · Updated · WisPolitics.com · Jun 29
Summary
$150 million in WIG: HEART grants will be offered over four years to nonprofit and government groups tackling healthcare staffing shortages in Wisconsin’s rural and semi-rural communities.
$4.9 million is available in the first year, with individual awards ranging from $500,000 to $10 million for projects built with regional workforce partners.
The program targets training, technical assistance, care availability and collaboration, aiming to reduce barriers to healthcare employment and connect workers to higher-quality, family-sustaining jobs.
WIG: HEART builds on Gov. Tony Evers’ broader workforce initiatives, including a $128 million WIG program that invested nearly $15 million in healthcare shortages and other local employment barriers.
Applications are due by 3 p.m. CT on Aug. 17, 2026, for a program backed through a CMS/HHS-funded state award totaling about $203.7 million.