January 24, 2022
Iroquois Healthcare Association’s Successful Acute Care Training Program Continuing for an Additional Year
The Iroquois Healthcare Association has received a grant extension from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation that allows them to continue their hospital training program for an additional year.
In January of 2021 the Iroquois Healthcare Association (IHA) began a large-scale online training program, aimed at upskilling Upstate New York hospital workers. Since then, the program has achieved success in training thousands of healthcare workers across Upstate New York. The program, supported by a grant generously given to IHA by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, has been renewed to provide training for an extra year and expanded to provide other training opportunities.
IHA has worked on the training project for over a year, gathering information via focus groups and surveys to develop the most relevant curriculum. The goal of the program is to assist entry level acute care workers with both personal and professional development.
The courses are accessed online through the IHA Workforce Investment Organization’s training platform enabled by HealthStream, the country’s leader in healthcare education. IHA purchases training licenses through HealthStream, develops a curriculum and then provides the licenses to hospitals in Upstate New York.
The program provides hospital employees with 90 courses, taken online from any device that connects to the internet. Course topics cover a broad range, touching on subjects such as Healthcare 101, emotional intelligence, Microsoft skills, diversity, equity & inclusion and many more.
Since the courses were released in spring of 2021, the program has reached over 6,000 entry level hospital workers.
The Acute Care Training program for 2021 is also presenting a series of strategic webinars to assist hospital administration with recruitment, retention and career ladder development . IHA has partnered with Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) to develop and deliver the webinars. The goal is to provide innovative solutions and helpful strategies to encourage career development from within the organization.
“Education and development for essential workers is imperative, especially during a pandemic,” said IHA President and CEO Gary J. Fitzgerald. “Our training program not only supports healthcare workers in their professional lives, but also gives them the tools to deal with emotional stress caused by working in a pandemic environment.”
“IHA is very pleased to be able to add the webinar series to the 2022 Acute Care Training program,” said IHA Senior Director of Special Projects Eileen Murphy. “Addressing the current issues within healthcare takes collaboration and creative problem solving, and that is what we intend to do within the webinars.”
About the Iroquois Healthcare Association: IHA is a regional healthcare trade organization representing more than 50 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.