The IHA WIO team is looking forward to introducing several new initiatives this fall, and continuing to bolster workforce development with our existing programs. The Upstate Works staffing agency has been established to help contain contingency staffing costs. A Robotics Process Automation pilot program has been started as a means of automating processes that are manual in order to gain staffing efficiencies in support areas. The Caring Gene® recruitment website is now open to all member hospitals to post available positions, using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to identify candidates The IHA Scholarship program is making a positive impact on the education of healthcare workers and the IHA training program has added exciting new content.
Caring Gene® Recruitment Website
IHA is offering the opportunity for member hospitals to post jobs on caringgene.com at no cost. The site allows healthcare facilities to post open positions, with no restraint on the amount of time the post is able to stay active. The award-winning recruitment website is home to educational content that informs individuals about the care industry, training and education as well as licensure and certification requirements and the day-to-day descriptions of various roles. Job seekers can learn about what each field has to offer, as well as interact with a location-based job search in one convenient location.
There are several IHA member hospitals that post jobs on the site already. We are in the process of evaluating additional grant opportunities and commercialization options, which will enhance our current offerings. IHA encourages each of its members to utilize this free member benefit, and assist us with our efforts of enhancing the platform and building the brand.
Caringgene.com employs the use of targeted ads informed by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. AI aggregates a large amount of data to establish a profile of how a caring individual interacts in an online space, and then uses that data to identify real people that align with the profile. Caring Gene® uses the information collected by AI to show ads to individuals that are likely to excel in care positions. The goal of the site is to bring applicants with the Caring Gene® to your hospital job postings.
Scholarship Grant
The IHA Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF) Scholarship was awarded to 28 IHA member hospitals who will distribute the funds to employees working towards earning certification/licensure in one of the following areas; RN, LPN, CNA, medical technician or lab technician. The program gave out $264,000 in scholarships in 2022. We have also been invited to apply for this grant for 2023 and will be notified in December if we receive funding again.
IHA is collecting testimonials from scholarship recipients to bolster our final report to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, and assist us in getting re-funded for next year. We ask that participating hospitals put together either video or written testimonials that focus on how the funding has helped their employees and their education.
Webinar Series
The IHA Acute Care Training Program is presenting six educational webinars focused on innovative solutions to healthcare recruitment and retention. IHA partnered with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), an organization that is nationally recognized for its expertise in training and technical assistance for healthcare providers and systems.
The first three webinars took place in June, July and September. They focused on Mapping the Workforce, Recruiting & Hiring, and Compensation and Benefits. You can view their recordings and corresponding slide deck presentations at our website, www.ihawio.org.
Our remaining webinars are as follows;
Keeping It Fresh: Best Practices in Employee Engagement
November 15th, 12 pm – 1 pm
Register Here
Bolstering the Workforce: Resiliency, Workplace Wellbeing and Retention
December 13th, 12 pm – 1 pm
Register Here
The live webinars give viewers the opportunity to interact with the presenters, ask questions, and hear about similar struggles that other organizations are facing. The webinars send participants home with resources and materials to assist in planning for improved hospital recruitment and retention.
IHA Acute Care Training Program
The IHA Acute Care Training Program added several new and updated courses to continue offering the most relevant and constructive content to participants. Courses were added that focus on Healthcare Worker Resiliency and Mental Well-Being for Healthcare Workers, specifically during high pressure times such as COVID-19.
The program offers free licenses for the country’s leading learning management system, HealthStream. Our curriculum was developed by subject matter experts to include topics that are integral to healthcare workers at any level in their career. The courses that we offer are exclusive to this program and are not accessible through any other HealthStream channels. There are over 90 courses available to your employees free of charge. Members that sign up for this program are also eligible to receive google chrome books at no charge.
Virtual Career Fairs
IHA is offering members the opportunity to host their own virtual job fairs free of charge on the platform Brazen. The system allows you to design a booth to showcase your organization and the positions you have open. You have the ability to talk with job seekers via text or video chat, and to determine if you would like to move forward in the interview process. The licenses expire on November 30th, so that leaves just about a month left to sign up to test out the virtual recruiting space, at no cost.
Robotics Process Automation (RPA)
We are piloting a project which works to integrate robotics process automation (RPA) into hospitals and to provide technology solutions to combat staffing vacancies. IHA is partnering with Garnet River, an Upstate New York business and IT services provider located in Saratoga, to blend RPA into compatible hospital functions. RPA uses software bots to replace manual work done by humans to streamline and speed up processes.
This solution handles high volume and repetitive tasks, lessening dependency on paid labor, increasing accuracy, and reducing costs. RPA also boosts productivity, enabling staff to focus on more strategic work, and increases employee engagement. Areas where bots have been very effective in healthcare include finance, accounting and revenue cycle management functions.
Garnet River is offering a free “quick start “program for IHA members to develop an initial proof of concept for a specific process suggested by a member. This will be offered up until December 31st of this year. We have six members that are in the beginning phase of integrating RPA into their facilities.
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If you are interested in any of these programs please reach out to: ihawio@iroquois.org