Rush University Medical Center, located west of downtown Chicago, serves as an anchor for surrounding communities as well as for its 2,400 frontline workers. As an Emerging Champion, and one of the area’s largest non-government employers, Rush has long prided itself on programs that provide experiential learning experiences and personal career development that ranges from training and tuition support to local partnerships that target and recruit from within the organization and the at-large community.
Work and life quality are important factors to worker retention, and the organization’s MAPP (Medical Assistant Pathways Program) provides its full-time frontline workers opportunities to complete a local medical assistant certification program while receiving full tuition, partial funding for transportation and career coaching. MAPP is also outfacing and offers community youth to explore healthcare industry jobs at the same time that they acquire patient care technician certification. So far, the ongoing MAPP has retained 80% of Rush employees, while 86% of patient care technician certification graduates have been placed in jobs. In line with several CareerSTAT best practices, Rush University Medical Center has also increased its local hiring by 4% and offers workers opportunities to earn a range of industry-recognized credentials.
