Gianforte Offers Incentive Program to Recruit Healthcare Workers

At a press conference at the Billings Clinic on Tuesday, Governor Greg Gianforte introduced a new incentive program to encourage healthcare workers to relocate to Montana.

“Today I'm proud to announce a new innovative healthcare workforce recruitment program to address our long standing shortage and stabilize our healthcare system over the long term,” said Governor Gianforte. “The State of Montana will reimburse moving expenses for health care workers who move here to serve Montanans.”

Gianforte provided more incentives from the relocation program.

“After 12 months of continuous service at a health care facility, qualified providers who move to the state, and that would be nurses or doctors, can be reimbursed for up to $12,500 for their actual moving expenses plus 35 percent of the total reimbursement to cover taxes on that reimbursement.”

Gianforte told the Billings Clinic that the state would stand behind any efforts to bring more healthcare workers to Montana.

“As you make offers to doctors and nurses who may be moving to the state, we’ll now stand with you in reimbursing their moving expenses to make it a little easier to attract them,” he said “And while we have a great team of dedicated healthcare workers today, we need to add folks to the roster to alleviate some of the burden on existing workers and build capacity so Montanans have greater access to care. That's what this program is all about.”

Gianforte then included all the state’s healthcare facilities in the relocation incentive offer.

“That's how important addressing this long standing worker shortage is to our administration,” he said. “We're inviting all interested Montana hospitals and other health care employers to participate in this program, which we expect to launch at the end of this month. While the program guidance is being developed, please contact our office if you're interested in participating in this program.”

The governor’s Health Care Workforce Relocation Assistance program, recommended by Economic Transformation and Stabilization, and Workforce Development Advisory Commission last week, helps cover relocation costs for eligible health care providers to recruit them to serve in Montana communities. The program is anticipated to launch by late November and will be jointly administered by the Department of Labor and Industry and Department of Commerce.