FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2020
Contact: Amelia Trigg
atrigg@iroquois.org
(518) 348-7457
Caring Gene® Campaign Expands to Address Long Term Care Recruitment Needs Resulting from COVID-19
Multi-media recruitment campaign seeks those to answer the Call to Care
ALBANY, New York — New York’s healthcare delivery system continues to face consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, even as the number of new cases has declined drastically across the state. In addition to ongoing shortages of supplies and equipment, as well as rapidly changing clinical guidance, healthcare organizations across the state are faced with growing concerns related to staffing and the future supply of an adequate workforce.
To address the recruitment needs of New York’s long term care providers, resulting from COVID-19, the Iroquois Healthcare Association Workforce Investment Organization (IHA WIO) has relaunched the Caring Gene® in its new Call to Care multi-media recruitment campaign.
The Caring Gene®, originally launched in June 2019, seeks those with an innate desire to care for others to explore job and training opportunities in one of the most in-demand fields in the country – the care industry. Those with the “caring gene” are encouraged to learn more about clinical and non-clinical careers in the long term care sector.
To date, the campaign has resulted in more than 180,000 visits to www.caringgene.org, 50,000 job searches, and 18,000 clicks on provider career pages. The success of the Caring Gene® has recently landed it three national awards at the 37th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards Show.
“The demand for workers in long term care is expected to increase exponentially over the next few years, but current long term care providers – both residential and home-based – are already experiencing problems recruiting enough workers to fill job vacancies, and retaining those workers once they are hired,” said Gary J. Fitzgerald, president and CEO of IHA. “We are excited to expand upon the Caring Gene®’s success in this new age of healthcare recruitment and retention.”
Created in partnership with Mower, an integrated marketing agency, the new Call to Care campaign is inspired by World War II recruitment posters, appealing to “heroes in the making” with messages ranging from “We Need You: Answer the Call to Care” to “Wanted: Healthcare Heroes” and “Join the Force—the Healthcare Workforce.”
The campaign, running statewide, includes a television commercial and a digital and social media effort that continues to direct job seekers to caringgene.org. In addition to links to thousands of job openings that are available today across the state, the site also includes information on how interested job seekers can get started on these career paths, including necessary qualifications and training, which are often provided on the job.
“Now, more than ever, New York’s long term care organizations need caring individuals to support our state’s most vulnerable populations. We hope they’ll answer the call to care,” Fitzgerald added.
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About Iroquois Healthcare Association
The Iroquois Healthcare Association (IHA) is a regional trade organization representing over 50 hospitals and health systems in 32 counties of upstate New York. IHA is the leading resource for facilities and professionals bringing quality health care to the region. This broad alliance of voices has helped IHA expand its focus to patient safety, healthcare reform, and the recruitment and retention of the nation’s best health care workers. In 2018, IHA was designated as the only statewide Workforce Investment Organization (WIO) by the New York State Department of Health to train, retrain, recruit and retain healthcare workers in the long-term care sector through funds made available by the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT). The Caring Gene® is a registered trademark of IHA.