The National Fund Meeting closed on a high note this afternoon, with healthcare leaders on CareerSTAT’s Recognition Committee honoring and recognizing four healthcare employers as 2017 Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions and seven organizations as Emerging Champions.
An employer-led initiative of the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, CareerSTAT is a network of almost 200 healthcare and workforce leaders promoting investment in the skills and careers of frontline workers. They support healthcare organizations in developing, scaling, and sustaining development programs by: engaging healthcare leaders in peer-learning, documenting effective workforce development programs and policies, studying the business impact of workforce investments, providing technical assistance on program development, and recognizing Champion organizations.
The Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions honored today include:
Hebrew SeniorLife located in Boston MA is dedicated to improving the lives of older adults in the Greater Boston area. As part of their mission to maintain exceptional patient care, Hebrew SeniorLife understands the value of investing in their employees’ skills. For that reason, they offer career advancement opportunities through their Advanced Leadership in Geriatric Care (ALGC) program which prepares nursing assistants for leadership roles in older adult care. This program was established in 2012 and continues to advance individuals after completion of the 10-week program.
Mercy located in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas incorporates frontline worker skill and career development investments at the nucleus of their business strategy. In an effort to close the opportunity gap across their affiliated regions, Mercy offers a Tuition Advance Program which acknowledges the lack of money some employees have to invest in their higher learning. Mercy’s investment to grow their employees academically directly impacts the organization’s patient satisfaction as their employees become more knowledgeable within their field of work.
Ochsner Health System located in Jefferson, LA recognizes their position as an anchor institution within their community and therefore, the important role they play in providing employment opportunities to their region. By partnering with local school districts, Ochsner Health System is able to inform local youth of these opportunities and create pipelines to fulfilling careers in healthcare. High school students can shadow full-time employees as well as apply for internships that allow students to delve further into the healthcare field, sparking their interest and growth.
University Health System located in San Antonio, TX recognizes the diversity of their region and is focused on inclusive hiring efforts within their community. To meet the needs of their local workforce, University Health System makes a concerted effort to hire members that do not speak fluent English, including both new Americans and refugees, and provides individuals with an onsite English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. University Health System offers additional programs that promote continuous learning resulting in the training of 917 frontline workers in 2016.
Emerging Frontline Healthcare Worker Champions were also honored:
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- The Boston Home, Boston, MA
- Mercy Health, Grand Rapids, MI
- Seton Healthcare Family, Austin, TX
- Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT
- UC Davis Health, Sacramento, CA
- SEIU Healthcare PA Training & Education Fund, Harrisburg, PA
Through their participation in CareerSTAT, organizations have seized the opportunity to:
- Build program sustainability
- Learn from and collaborate with peers
- Establish evidence-based business practices
- Create both internal and external community-based partnerships
There were 45 CareerSTAT participants in attendance at this week’s convening. Each individual organization has dedicated time, resoruces and investments toward promoting and supporting their frontline workers. They truly have worked toward the main goal of CareerSTAT, which is to empower the frontline.
We applaud all of the CareerSTAT participating organizations for their efforts and look forward to hearing more about their successes in providing frontline workers with opportunities for career and personal growth.
