With 85% of U.S. healthcare facilities reporting shortages of allied healthcare workers, the talent crisis in healthcare persists. The need for scalable talent solutions has never been more urgent. Fully funded, education-to-employment pathways are proven models for delivering health systems the trained staff they need, while creating opportunities for underserved communities.
In a recent Becker’s Healthcare webinar sponsored by Unitek Learning, two talent experts discussed how healthcare leaders can use these strategies to address the current workforce crisis: Laura Beeth, chief workforce officer, Futuro Health, and Karl Anderson, executive director of partnership success, Unitek Learning.
Three key takeaways were:
- Education-to-employment programs help healthcare institutions get ahead of talent shortages. By creating clear career paths, “earn and learn” programs focused on allied health positions help hospitals and health systems grow their workforce, improve retention and build employee loyalty in ways traditional hiring practices can’t. At many institutions, for example, accredited medical assisting programs become a sustainable pipeline for nursing talent.
A good first step is to analyze the organization’s current and anticipated future needs. Key questions include how long it takes to fill openings in critical areas and whether it makes sense to invest in longer-term programs to get more people into the pipeline. “In some cases, hiring more entry-level workers like surg techs, nursing assistants and medical assistants will enable seeing more patients,” Ms. Beeth said. - Workforce programs deliver work-ready candidates and reduce onboarding costs. Futuro Health’s tuition-free, accredited technical training prepares people for healthcare careers through 18 different learning tracks. Since human skills are as important as technical training, the curriculum leverages both AI and human interaction to teach key concepts.
Coursework includes cultural competence, ethics and integrity, effective communication and emotional intelligence. “Scholars not only have technical training, they develop skills to be employees who are compassionate and team players,” Ms. Beeth said. To ensure that graduates are workforce-ready for different medical specialties, Futuro Health also offers micro-credentials. This approach reduces onboarding costs by as much as 50%. - “School-in-a-box” programs develop talent and improve staff retention in a scalable way. Unitek Learning’s school-in-a-box programs provide embedded learning centers inside healthcare institutions. These initiatives enable people to learn where they’re working and provide dedicated student and career services. This strategy is effective in both urban and rural settings, as well as locations without access to educational providers.
Unitek Learning and Futuro Health work together to provide best-in-class outcomes for hospitals and health systems, as well as for students. Organizations see significant reductions in turnover costs by educating talent in-system and retaining them as employees. Over 95% of Futuro Health program graduates stay with their employer. “The average retention cost savings for one cohort of 25 nursing students is close to $1.9 million,” Mr. Anderson said.
With programs from Futuro Health and Unitek Learning, healthcare institutions are taking ownership of employee education. “When you bring embedded learning centers to employees, it changes the game inside your facility,” Mr. Anderson said.
To register for upcoming webinars, click here.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
