AHA News Web Extra
Workforce Intiatives at State Hospital Associations
Editor's Note: This special Web-only report supplements the special insert in the May 19 edition of AHA News entitled "Helping Hospitals Build a Thriving Workforce."
Alabama
The Alabama Hospital Association participates in the governor's task force on health care workforce shortages; collects best practices for recruiting and retaining qualified personnel and posts it on the state hospital association's Web site; and launched a new Web site for health careers. The association also is working with Birmingham nurses to develop a Web and television commercials as part of a campaign to promote nursing as a career. And it has provided members with a workforce tool kit on recruiting and retaining staff.
Alaska
The Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association is working with the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Nursing to double the number of nursing graduates by 2006. The initiative is supported by $2.4 million in private sector funding. The state's workforce investment office also is supporting hospital efforts to train experienced operating room nurses to be preceptors for registered nurses who are in training to become entry-level operating room nurses. The state and hospital association also are working to develop a similar training program for ob/gyn services.
Arizona
The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) has launched a five-year comprehensive workforce initiative -- the "Campaign for Caring" -- to address all aspects of the workforce shortage. The campaign is intended to help build awareness and increase attractiveness of the health professions to youth and re-careering adults via media as well as a grassroots outreach effort that bring target audiences in contact with top health professionals; create partnerships between academia and delivery systems/clinical sites with the goal of building capacity as well as breaking down barriers to attaining a health career education; and promote best practices and workplace innovation to instill passion and commitment to the health care profession. The goal: ensuring a quality and sufficient health care workforce.
Arkansas
For the past two years, the Arkansas Hospital Association has been working closely with Arkansas For Nursing, a nursing group made up primarily of hospital nurse executives and human resources directors, to provide Web-based information on nursing education and nursing careers. In addition, the state association is preparing to implement a series of new print and electronic media ads aimed at promoting nursing to students and adults who may be considering career changes. Also, the association is exploring ways to make allied health education programs available to individuals in their hometowns and even in their own homes via Internet-based courses.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia Hospital Association's human resources forum meets regularly with representatives of the District's workforce investment council, employment services and public schools to map out health care recruitment and retention strategies. These public-private collaborations include opportunities for educational advancement for current staff, such as in-house training for radiology and medication technicians and other training programs available in area higher education institutions. The forum is looking to high school students' awareness of health care careers.
Georgia
The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) last year ran a statewide media campaign to promote healthcare careers. In addition, the association launched a Web site, www.abettercareer.org, with career information and links for more information on workforce resources, as part of the campaign. The association also developed an employee recognition program, called Giving Recognition for Excellence, Advocacy and Teamwork or GREAT Ambassador Employee Recognition program. It was developed to recognize an employee from each hospital for their excellence in their work and for promoting healthcare careers. Each hospital was given criteria to share with their employees. All employees were asked to submit their personal story of why they chose healthcare as a career, what it has meant to them and why they like working at their hospitals. Each hospital then chose their "GREAT ambassador," who received a GHA certificate and pin. In addition, hospitals added their own rewards and held ceremonies in conjunction with Hospital Week. The stories will be used on the GHA career Web site, in a recruitment publication and for state and local press releases.
Hawaii
The Healthcare Association of Hawaii worked with the Hawaii Nurses Association to help secure passage of state legislation to establish a center to study nurse workforce issues, and create a loan program for nursing students at the state's colleges.
Illinois
The Illinois Hospital Association is working with many groups across the state to address recruitment issues (developing both elementary and secondary school programs for health careers), retention issues (developing career guidance programs in hospitals), and pipeline expansion issues (several summits for colleges and hospitals to work together for faculty and clinical site development). The association also is updating its Guide to Health Occupations, Schools, and Financial Aid. The association, through financial assistance and in-kind contributions, supports the Illinois Coalition for Nursing Resources, a coalition of health care groups, including more than 50 hospitals. It also has devoted a section of its Web site to workforce issues.
Indiana
The Indiana Hospital & Health Association's initiatives include a quarterly human resources benchmarking survey to document vacancy and turnover rates in selected acute care and behavioral health positions; a compendium of potential public and private funding sources for health care workforce development projects; direct lobbying of the state legislature for community college funding proposals aimed at expanding allied health programs; and co-sponsoring, with the Indiana Health Industry Forum, an analysis of the gap between the supply and the current and projected demand for professionals in the Indiana health sector workforce.
Iowa
The Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) created a task force two years ago to define the work force shortage problem and identify strategies that the association and its member hospitals could take to address workforce shortages. A work group was formed early last year to carry out the task force's recommendations for promoting health care careers in Iowa. A video about health care careers, a complimentary brochure, and a special section on the IHA Web site were created for Iowa hospitals, higher education health occupation deans, and high school counselors to promote health care careers. IHA also ran radio ads on top 40 stations throughout the state targeting high school and college students. In addition to the health career promotions, IHA has surveyed hospital members on vacancy and turnover rates, and best practices for health profession shortages, and recruitment and retention strategies.
Kansas
The Kansas Hospital Association's committee on workforce strategies is partnering with numerous organizations to provide hospitals in Kansas with a variety of tools and resources aimed at stemming the workforce crisis. Kansas hospitals are actively involved in working to fill the pipeline. Hospitals are engaging youth about health care careers. They also are working with schools and youth groups to promote health care as a future career choice for Kansas youth.
Louisiana
Based on the recommendations of a Louisiana Hospital Association (LHA) task force on workforce shortages, the state legislature last year passed a bill creating the Louisiana Health Works Commission. The commission is designed to help integrate and coordinate resources for building a healthy workforce. The commission, chaired by LHA President & CEO Lynn B. Nicholas, has recently reported to the state legislature its initial findings on the workforce needs of the health care field; the education of future health care workers; and the image of health care professionals in the state. LHA also has helped plan a pilot project with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System for LPN to RN programs; worked closely with Louisiana Community and Technical College System to implement health careers within their institutions; and developed educational programs on workforce retention best practices.
Maryland
The Maryland Hospital Association has recruited and trained 100 nurse speakers to participate in recruitment activities across the state. It has provided access to online speakers bureau request via our health careers Web site, www.marylandhealthcareers.org. The association has expanded the number of hospitals from the original pilot program of seven to a total of 27 to survey and track satisfaction among nurses to learn more about what works and what doesn't with regard to nurse retention activities. Also, it has launched a new electronic publication, Ideas in Action, to support networking and sharing of best practices in recruitment, retention and workplace initiatives; and expanded its web-based career exploration resources on www.marylandhealthcareers.org to include radiology and pharmacy careers.
Michigan
The Michigan Health Council, founded by the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, is examining health manpower issues in collaboration with key industry groups, academic institutions, government departments, and health care employers.
Minnesota
The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) recently premiered www.myfirstday.com -- a new Web site for job seekers, career changers and their counselors. Together with posters and career cards, the Web site puts a spotlight on a number of health care careers. MHA also works closely with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to increase education opportunities. This spring, MHA has been lobbying the state for additional funding for the system's nurse training programs. Partnering with the Minnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing, MHA sponsors a promising Nursing Work Environment project. Underway in seven hospitals, the project brings staff nurses together to figure out how best to improve the environment where they work - with the support of the hospitals' leadership.
Mississippi
The Mississippi Hospital Association's health care center provides resources to help raise awareness about health care careers, educational opportunities and job openings throughout the state; and helps its hospital members retain and recruit staff. Among other accomplishments, the center has developed Web site for information on health care employment and scholarships; counseled high school and college students about health care careers, Recruiter hired to assist member hospitals attract together quality print and electronic materials for their workforce efforts. In addition, the hospital association will host a comprehensive health career festival in September.
Missouri
The Missouri Hospital Association and its members are working with educators, civic groups, agencies and others to address workforce shortages. Activities include production of a video that focuses on the growing shortage of health care workers and the threat it poses to continued community growth and economic vitality. The association tracks vacancies, turnover rates and temporary agency use by its hospitals to maintain its database for advocacy purposes. The second annual Health Professions Scholarship Program, funded by contributions from Missouri's hospitals, will award scholarships to 83 students in licensed health professional programs this summer.
Nebraska
The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) published a workforce shortage toolkit, which included a summary of NHA's 2001 workforce survey, best practices, education resources and a NHA workforce committee's work plan. The association also supports state scholarships that help low-income students pursue health care degrees and certification. Additionally, three Nebraska hospitals offered $40,000 in forgivable educational loans to train low-income persons to become allied health workers.
Nevada
The Nevada Hospital Association formed a multidisciplinary statewide Task Force in 1999 to address nursing workforce shortage issues. Since then, the Task Force has evolved into the Nursing Institute of Nevada (NIN) and three statewide committees; Attraction, Commitment and Professional Development. The mission of NIN is "To ensure adequate nursing resources to meet the growing health care needs in the State of Nevada." Activities include holding statewide nursing workforce forums, development of a Nevada-specific nurse recruitment Website www.NVNurses.com, a recruitment brochure for high school students, a children's coloring book, a plan to double nursing enrollment in our schools of nursing, and a "Chief Retention Officer" pilot program.
New York
The Hospital and Healthsystems Associations of New York State's (HANYS) workforce Web site (www.hanys.org/workforce/workforce.htm) provides information on available workforce resources. Advocacy efforts resulted in passage of state legislation last year to provide $3.5 billion over three years to support health care workforce initiatives. This month, HANYS will launch an educational series titled, Excellence in Workforce: The Journey to Success. The four-part series will offer senior staff information, education, and tools for creating a culture that supports employees and meets the quality requirements of health care. HANYS developed a workforce indicator survey to capture vacancy rates, turnover rates, and other significant workforce indicators. Participating facilities receive benchmark data by bed group, region, and statewide. HANYS is also providing members the opportunity to understand the driving factors that lead to nurse turnover by participating in a nurse retention initiative.
Ohio
FutureThink, a new venture of the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Organization for Nurse Executives (OONE), is aimed at helping hospitals redesign care processes by 20013. The Ohio nursing group was awarded the 2003 Affiliated Local Group Achievement Award, presented by the American Organization of Nurse Executives, for the initiative. Gleaned from over 1,000 suggestions from over 300 health care providers and consumers, a vision for the year 2013 was created and strategic objectives designed to take Ohio hospitals to the future. The model includes notable technology changes such as robots and electronic medical records. It also calls for a fundamental change -- patient participation in the health care process.
Rhode Island
The Hospital Association of Rhode Island is working with secondary and college students to increase their participation in internships and educational experiences at cooperating health care facilities. These initiatives include two career Web sites for students and other interested individuals to access information about health care careers in our state, and a pubic service announcement highlighting local nurses and followed up its broadcast with distribution among all schools in the state. Cox Communications continues to run the PSA on various stations. Another program is the "Virtual Job Shadow," a joint effort among medical and surgical teams from our member hospitals who perform live, interactive surgical procedures for students and broadcast them into the classroom. The interactive connections have given over 600 educators and students in the past the opportunities to view live open-heart surgery, rotator cuff repair and a fetal ultra sound. Students are allowed to ask questions of the medical team throughout the procedure.
South Carolina
The South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) has partnered with the South Carolina Technical College System and the South Carolina Employment Security Commission to hold 16 health career fairs across the state and to create a financial aid and planning guide for high school students considering a health care career. The association has also been working on a youth mentoring program, modeled after the John's Hopkins program, and introduced a job-posting Web site, www.schealthjobs.net. SCHA's Nothing Could Be Finer program provides representation at national and international health career fairs as a shared service for members to recruit health workers to South Carolina.
Tennessee
The state has established a Center for Health Workforce Development, which is supported by the Tennessee Hospital Association. The center's mission is to work with hospitals and others to achieve a highly qualified health care workforce through statewide strategies and partnerships. The center is involved in a number of projects aimed at highlighting health care workforce issues around the state. The Tennessee Hospital Association and the Tennessee Association of Homes and Services for the Aging recently sponsored a training course for middle managers.
Virginia
Virginia Hospital and Healthsystem Association's workforce initiatives focus on the pipeline for nurses and allied health workers. VHHA donated $114,000 to the Virginia Partnership for Nursing to develop recruitment campaigns for men, minorities and second career students. The monies have also been used to enhance the partnership's website, www.nurseschangelives.com. VHHA is funding health career exploration camps for middle school and high school students throughout Virginia. An estimated 230 middle and high school students are expected to attend. Campers' evaluations of the experience will be used to assess changes in the youths' perceptions about health career opportunities. A recent study by VHHA found that our members contributed an estimated $27 million to nursing and allied health education in Virginia's community colleges and universities. VHHA is using our members' experiences with higher education to influence policies that allow programs to expand and reduce barriers to interested students.
