During the first quarter of 2022, the IHA WIO team has been working hard to bring several new programs to fruition as well as continue and improve upon existing programs. IHA WIO has focused on initiatives that seek to aid the ongoing staffing shortages, educate the existing workforce and provide creative solutions to problems that affect the health of rural New Yorkers.
In early December, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation announced that IHA had been awarded two grants for the 2022 funding cycle. In addition, the Home Care Association of NYS (HCANYS) was awarded two grants in which IHA will play a significant role. The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of vulnerable communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.
The Mother Cabrini grants have enabled IHA WIO to facilitate two IHA member programs; the IHA Scholarship program and the Acute Care Training program. In collaboration with HCANYS, the two associations will develop a Community Paramedicine program and a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE & I) Training program for home care workers. IHA WIO is excited to offer these creative programs and collaborate with IHA member hospitals to benefit the health and well-being of all Upstate New Yorkers.
In the fall, IHA sponsored a series of group virtual job fairs that focused on five regions in Upstate New York. Although the events were successful, we received feedback that it was difficult to capture job seeker attention in a group setting.
To improve the events in 2022, IHA has a virtual platform license that will allow IHA members to host individual on-line job fairs. IHA will assist with the organizational and technical needs of the event. This is a great way to test out a top virtual job fair platform without any costs.
Acute Care Training Program
The Acute Care Training program is going into its second year of operation and provides comprehensive online training to entry level hospital workers. Employees enrolled in the program have access to 90 courses that have been developed by subject matter experts. The curriculum offers a range of topics meant to develop employees both personally and professionally. Employees can access the education from anywhere on an internet connected device through HealthStream, a leading learning management system. In addition, IHA WIO can provide Google Chromebooks to interested organizations. IHA WIO is also expanding the program in 2022 by offering a strategic webinar series for hospital executives to learn about innovative solutions to complex recruitment and retention problems.
The other three programs are brand new initiatives being piloted over the course of 2022.
IHA Scholarship Program
The IHA Scholarship Program will distribute funding to diverse and disadvantaged hospital workers looking to obtain additional education to further their careers in healthcare. The goal of the program is to aid employees in their pursuit of various certifications. IHA will provide financial support to those interested in earning a LPN, RN, CNA, or medical technician certification, who meet established eligibility criteria.
Both the Community Paramedicine program and the DE&I Training program are collaboration projects that IHA has partnered with HCANY to execute.
Community Paramedicine Program
The Community Paramedicine program expands the role of paramedics and EMTs with the intention of increasing access to care in rural areas where it can be difficult to get to a healthcare facility and receive care. The program will utilize EMTs and paramedics to provide primary and preventative care services to vulnerable populations that have difficulty accessing care in traditional settings. The grant program will pilot three programs in rural locations across the state to design models, develop protocols for, and operate community centric programs. Administering preventative care lowers the likelihood that emergency teams will be called to non-urgent situations, protects emergency care resources and decrease emergency room visits and hospital admissions/re-admissions.
DE&I Training Program
The DE&I Training program provides training focused on diversity, equity & inclusion to home care workers in New York state. The offered courses help homecare professionals to recognize cultural differences and utilize them to strengthen their practices. The curriculum also addresses ways to navigate the changing world and provide the best care possible regardless of who the patient is. The DE&I education is offered exclusively online and can be taken anywhere with an internet connected device.
Individual Virtual Job Fairs
This past Fall, IHA sponsored the Take A Look virtual job fair series focusing on five regions of upstate New York. Many IHA members participated in these job fairs and made meaningful connections with job seekers. We have the use of a license to use the virtual job fair platform for another year and are offering it to IHA members to host individual events.
The platform allows an organization to showcase its health system through an interactive online booth. Job seekers are provided with information about the culture of an organization and positions available to fill. During the live text or video chats with job seekers enable an on the spot interview with potential candidates.
IHA can assist members with all of the organizational and technical needs for the job fair. Members will need to advertise the fair to attract job seekers.
This is a great opportunity to test out a top performing virtual job fair platform, at no cost.
If you would like to learn more about these initiatives please see the full press releases, attached below. Visit our website, https://www.ihawio.org/ to keep up with all of our programs throughout the year.