January 24, 2022
Iroquois Healthcare Association Receives Grant to Assist Healthcare Employees with Education Costs
The Iroquois Healthcare Association has received a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to help NYS healthcare workers earn additional education and certifications.
The Iroquois Healthcare Association (IHA) is initiating a new scholarship program to support low-income and diverse essential healthcare workers that wish to advance their careers through education. This program is being made possible by grant given to IHA by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
The healthcare sector has been suffering from extreme staffing shortages for years. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and hordes of essential workers leave the industry, staffing pressures continue to burden our health systems and the public who rely on the systems for care.
The healthcare industry in Upstate New York faces unique challenges due to its low population and vast geography, presenting a deficit of certified clinical workers in rural areas.
IHA would like to encourage healthcare workers to continue growing in the industry by providing financial assistance for certifications. The IHA Scholarship Program will allow essential workers to focus more on their education and the endless opportunities that lie ahead of them in healthcare.
The scholarships would also help to build the workforce pipeline and expand the number of job titles such as RN, CNA, LPN and certified technicians in NYS. Building the workforce pipeline would provide healthcare organizations with qualified workers while increasing access to adequate care for vulnerable populations in rural communities.
IHA is excited to be able to invest in the essential workers of NYS and thankful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for their continued support.
“IHA knows how important it is to get more people into NYS healthcare positions, but we also know how difficult that can be,” said IHA President and CEO Gary Fitzgerald. “We are grateful to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for enabling us to assist diverse and disadvantaged essential workers in obtaining more education, and moving up the career ladder. Without the hard-working healthcare workforce of NYS, we would be nowhere.”
“After nearly two years of recovery from a pandemic that has hit vulnerable populations the hardest, we must continue to address the challenges communities across New York State are facing: food and housing insecurity, lack of access to basic healthcare including vaccines, lack of equity within the healthcare professions, and racial and economic healthcare disparities made worse during COVID-19,” said MCHF CEO Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo. “We must continue to support the full range of services that make for healthy people and communities.”
About the Iroquois Healthcare Association: IHA is a regional healthcare trade organization representing 54 hospitals and health systems, spanning over 28,000 square miles, across 32 counties of Upstate New York. IHA is the leading resource for facilities and professionals bringing quality health care to the region. IHA represents the unique needs of rural, small community safety-net providers to large, academic medical centers in Upstate New York’s urban areas through advocacy, education and information, cost-savings initiatives and innovative business solutions.
About the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation: The MCHF 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. Named after a tireless advocate for immigrants, children, and the poor, the Foundation funds programs and initiatives across New York State that provide either direct healthcare services or address the social determinants of health.