A report released in March found that healthcare employment remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The number of healthcare workers declined dramatically at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and peaked in 2022.
Although employment has increased rapidly over the past two years, the report's findings share that the country has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, particularly in skilled nursing. While the country's aging population requires more health care services and inflation impacts the economy, health care has historically been a safe option for employees.
To prevent further turnover and increase employment opportunities, health centers and free clinics are working to develop the workforce by building career paths and encouraging career literacy. These federally and privately funded agencies advocate programs to educate, train, and mentor future and current health care workers to support the nation's safety net population.
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Connecting rural health care providers with mentorship and support
In Florida, which has not chosen to expand Medicaid, health centers serve 1.7 million patients. These organizations created more than 25,000 jobs in 2021, according to the National Health Center Association.
Stephen Bennett, director of workforce development programs for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, said the position with the highest turnover rate within Florida health centers is entry-level positions for medical assistants, followed by dental assistants.
FACHC surveys the state's 54 health centers every six months to understand and analyze the status of their employees. The latest survey through December 2023 reports an increase in the number of unique open positions. Medical interpreters are also included, which is necessary given that approximately 25% of the health center's patients do not speak English as their first language.
“I think we have some idea of what happens when a house burns down, but we're not prepared for everything,” Bennett said.
Community Health Center of Florida, Inc. (CHI) has more than 40 patient facilities in Florida's 28th Congressional District. The district was created after 2020 census results showed a growing rural population. More than half of the district's census respondents identified two or more of her races, and the majority of respondents identified as a minority race.
Peter Wood, vice president of planning and government at CHI, said the health center is committed to strengthening the primary care sector overall, especially by serving underserved communities. He said there was. Patients within the communities served by CHI are more likely to be negatively and disproportionately affected by social determinants of health and have higher rates of chronic disease.
Given CHI's commitment to the community, the health center operates educational programs that encourage healthcare workers to gain additional educational opportunities and apply new skills in the same location. The educational center is the first of its kind in the nation and includes training programs in family medicine and psychiatry. CHI is developing programs that include a dental residency and an internal medicine residency program.
“A higher percentage of them end up getting a job and serving an underserved or neighboring region of the country, as opposed to working in a hospital and finding another job that doesn’t serve underserved or neighboring regions of the country.” It’s here to stay,” Wood said.
While medical staff in any workplace must follow certain guidelines and educational standards, Bennett said there are “fundamental similarities, but different types of competencies” between health center and private practice employees. says. They require a highly qualified workforce that is also representative of the communities they serve. Health center staff treats patients who are uninsured, insured through Medicaid, who do not speak English as their first language, who do not trust their health care provider, or who have previously seen their health care provider. They are more likely to be working with patients they have never experienced and have less confidence in the medical process.
“As all of the human complexities come to our doorstep, we must position and build a workforce that can not only address healthcare challenges, but also manage and articulate responses to those complexities. There is a need,” Bennett said. .
While recruiting a talented workforce is important, retaining current employees is just as important, Bennett said.
He said health centers need to take a holistic approach in their efforts and consider what career paths will look like in the long term. He encourages career literacy so that future and current employees can better understand their career options, and ensures that all employees receive at least his support regarding their career and mentoring. We suggest having a two-year plan. He also suggests health centers partner with local organizations, faith-based centers and schools to reach more people.
Several health centers and free clinics across Florida have partnered on a mentoring program with the MAVEN Project, a national nonprofit organization that supports primary care providers. Retired physicians volunteer to teach clinical and leadership skills to current healthcare professionals in a trusted environment.
“It was like, 'Please, sign up,'” said Hilary Glenn, a nurse practitioner and co-founder of Point Washington Medical Clinic in Florida.
Glenn started working on the MAVEN project before the pandemic and sought mentorship during the height of Covid. She said there are mixed messages across the state regarding the pandemic and she would like to consult with different medical experts. She participates in the organization's weekly coronavirus updates and holds biweekly calls with her mentor to review the latest best practices and ensure the organization is providing the most accurate medical advice. Did.
“Professionally, he has been extremely helpful in steering the organization in the right direction and implementing best practices,” Glenn said.
Glenn said it can be difficult to find specialists to see patients at health centers and free clinics, especially in rural and underserved areas of the country. She said that with Maven projects, that access is not that difficult. She described the Mentor Her program as “amazing” and “an incredible resource for the philanthropic sector.”
Dr. Lo-Ann Nguyen is a volunteer mentor for the MAVEN project and sees value in the “thought partnership” provided to current health center staff. Like Bennett, she says medical professionals need to consider their entire career trajectory.
For the past year, Nguyen has been working with physicians at Florida Health Centers to support their leadership abilities and long-term career goals. Nguyen said doctors have expressed feelings of burnout, and she has been working with them on how to delegate and regain enthusiasm for their work. Nguyen said it's common for health care providers to become exhausted. She reminds her mentees of her “why,” which helps them think about their career trajectory and makes them less likely to quit, she said.
“If you have core values about why you went into medicine and why you spent so many years studying and training, what brought you here?” she said. . “So how can we find joy in our work?”
Both Bennett and Nguyen emphasized the need for job evaluation. Nguyen said providers need to know that they can be leaders within their organizations, and that as leaders they need to show appreciation and create a culture of positive feedback.
“When you make your staff feel empowered and valued, they tend to stick with you,” she said. “They'll help you more, and they'll take better care of your patients for you. So it's a win-win all around.”
One of the misconceptions about health center employment is that the pay is low.
“Meeting market rates for compensation is essential not only to developing and retaining staff, but also to providing the quality care that patients deserve,” Bennett said.
Most health center employees earn more than the statewide average for the same role in another health care setting, according to FACHC salary reports. However, this does not apply to all roles. That's why it's important to create career paths, Bennett says, so employees don't leave every other year for a similar role at a slightly higher salary.
“The truth is, no rich person working in a community health center is going to retire,” Bennett said. “But the good thing is, no one comes to a community health center to get rich, right? You start your career at one of these centers for some deep calling, a service of the heart. To do.”
Direct Relief has supported the development and training of health workers through initiatives such as the MAVEN project, which connects community health providers with mentorship and expertise.
