Lieutenant Governor Toland Emphasizes Workforce Needs on Healthy Workers, Healthy Economy Tour Stop in Salina

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland traveled to Salina to host a “Healthy Workers, Healthy Economy” Tour roundtable focused on how expanding Medicaid would address health care workforce shortages. This is the fifth stop on the statewide tour, which launched in Winfield last month and has included visits to Garden City, Pittsburg, and Overland Park.

“Right now, Kansas is standing by as our doctors, nurses, and hospital staff leave for higher pay in neighboring states and exacerbate our healthcare workforce shortage,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “If we want to continue our unprecedented economic development success, we must expand Medicaid to create a more robust health care system that attracts both businesses and workers.””

“Expanding Medicaid is the most logical solution to address workforce shortages, grow our economy, and support Kansas health care workers and hospitals, especially in rural areas,” said Representative Susan Concannon, a Salina Republican. “While workers move to our neighboring states that have already expanded Medicaid, Kansas continues to forfeit billions of our own taxpayer dollars that could be used to support hospitals and staff and provide better benefits here at home. We must work across the aisle to get this done for Kansans in the next legislative session.”