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It's become even harder for Kansas hospitals to hire nurses

One Kansas hospital was planning to start welcoming 100 nurses from the Philippines this fall. But a lengthy backlog in visa applications has put that on hold, possibly for a year or longer. Plus: A handful of states have not adopted the federal government’s option to extend postpartum care coverage for mothers on Medicaid.

Hospitals in the United States have recruited nurses from around the world to combat U.S. labor shortages. But Samantha Horton of the Kansas News Service reports that problems in the complex system are slowing the flow of nurses that Kansas badly needs.

For the past two years, the federal government has offered states the option to extend postpartum care benefits for those on Medicaid from 60 days to one year. Research shows that women who receive extended postpartum care greatly benefit from it. The vast majority of states have approved this extension, including Kansas and Missouri. But not Iowa. Iowa Public Radio’s Natalie Krebs reports for the Midwest Newsroom.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Paris Norvell, Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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More than ever, education lies at the intersection of equity, housing, funding, and other diverse issues facing Kansas City’s students, families and teachers. As KCUR’s education reporter, I’ll break down the policies driving these issues in schools and report what’s happening in our region's classrooms. You can reach me at jodifortino@kcur.org.
Paris Norvell is a freelance podcast producer for KCUR Studios,
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