The state of Kansas is making $50 million available for hospitals in an effort to boost the retention of nursing staff and support personnel across the state. “We were extremely pleased to hear the SPARK committee approval of $50 million for a hospital employee retention plan,” Cindy Samuelson, senior vice president of member and public relations at Kansas Hospital Association, told The Center Square. “This is an important tool for hospitals to retain health care workers in these times when hospital staffing is a critical concern.” Though there are enough beds in the state to handle the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, there are not enough nurses to attend to those beds. The stress is so great that many nurses have chosen early retirement or opted out of acute care entirely. “Many of our nurses are risking their lives every day to save Kansans from COVID-19—and the immense strain on …