Formed in 2016, the Southwestern Oregon Healthcare Industry Partnership (SOHIP) is a workforce healthcare partnership comprised of healthcare employers, education and training providers, communitybased organizations, and other healthcare stakeholders from Coos, Curry, and Douglas Counties in Southwest Oregon. Launched in collaboration with the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board, SOHIP addresses regional workforce challenges through a partnership of 25 stakeholders, including 19 healthcare employers.

Healthcare workforce partnerships are dynamic collaborations of regional employers who convene regularly to discuss shared human resources issues, exchange labor market information, and take specific actions to address workforce challenges. While the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board is the backbone support for SOHIP, the priorities are employerdriven. In fact, upon formation, SOHIP identified the critical employer need for certified medical assistants as one of its original priority calls to action. Through SOHIP, partners are able to establish goals and pool resources to co-invest in solutions. As representatives of a rural area with limited post-secondary training resources, the industry partnership successfully leverages the needs of multiple employers to garner regional commitment to invest in frontline workforce development.