AH WD Final Report 11-5-10 - Home - Akron Regional Hospital

Northeast OhioAllied Health Workforce Development Planning Process

Summary Report

October, 2010

Source: www.explorehealthcareers.org

“Health care as a whole is one of the fastest-growing industry sectors in the nation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently predicted that of the 30 fastest-growing occupations from 2008 to 2018, 17 will be in

health care or medical research. Employment in health care is projected to increase by 21 percent, or by 1.6 million jobs. Many of these jobs include medical assistants, respiratory therapists, pharmacy

technicians, paramedics and others—all considered Allied Health occupations.”Sara Hastings, Workforce Development Analyst, Division of Youth Services, Employment and Training Administration

Executive Summary

There is an urgent need and abundant opportunity to expand the Allied Health workforce of Northeast Ohio. The need is driven by high demand for Allied Health professionals created by an aging population increasingly in need of health care; the retirement of Allied Health professionals; advances in medical technology requiring new skills and knowledge; national health care reform which now assures the provision of health care coverage for more people; the loss of manufacturing jobs and plant closings; and double-digit unemployment rates caused by the economic recession.

The opportunities for Allied Health workforce development are many: more jobs with good wages; more local and state taxes from a growing workforce; new and expanded health sector businesses; advancement opportunities for incumbent workers; increased enrollment at colleges, universities and training institutes that offer Allied Health certification, licensure, accreditation and degree programs; and an improved quality of life for Northeast Ohioans.

Over the past two years, more than 176 Allied Health professionals, educators, health system and workforce leaders, policy leaders and other health care stakeholders have been diligently and rigorously working to address the need and opportunity afforded by escalating Allied Health career awareness and workforce recruitment, development and retention in Northeast Ohio. This has been done through:

Occupational TherapistAverage Salary: $54,660

Years in School: 0-6 after high schoolJob Outlook: Excellent

Cardiovascular TechnologistAverage Salary: $40,810


Pharmacy TechnicianAverage Salary: $25,625


Northeast Ohio Healthcare Facts: There are more than 600 medical-

related organizations, including 60 hospitals in Northeast Ohio.

There are 27 colleges and universities which house more than 20 academic programs in medical education.

Northeast Ohio is home to 12 of the top 18 medical device manufacturers in the nation.

Sixteen (16) cardiovascular companies moved to the region in the past two years.

Northeast Ohio has grown the biomedical industry by 37% in the last 5 years, outpacing growth in the U.S.

Northeast Ohio research institutions are recipients of $500 million in federal and industry awards.

Source: Cleveland+

Allied Health Roundtable Dialogues hosted by Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) and Northeast Ohio Health Science & Innovation Coalition (NOHSIC) in July 2008;

Allied Health Workforce Summit I for healthcare employers in September 2009 hosted by NOHSIC, with strong support and involvement from Akron Regional Hospital Association, Center for Health Affairs, NEO HealthForce, NOCHE and Ohio Skills Bank (OSB).

Allied Health Workforce Summit II in December 2009 for all Allied Health stakeholders hosted by the same coalition of organizations that organized the first Summit.

Allied Health Action Teams: A planning process was initiated as an outcome of the two Allied Health Workforce Summits. The process entailed five Allied Health Action teams that conducted research and developed action plans to:

o Improve access to Allied Health trainingo Promote and expand incumbent Allied Health workforce developmento Advance K-16 Allied Health career awareness and academic preparationo Expand opportunities for Allied Health faculty development and more facultyo Align Allied Health accreditation, certification and licensure requirements

Recommendations: This report captures the process, research findings and salient recommendations of the five Allied Health Action Teams. From the beginning, the process was designed to be systemic and collaborative. As such, the action teams were comprised of a mix of educators and Allied Health trainers, health care professionals, workforce development leaders and other Allied Health workforce development stakeholders. Key recommendations that emerged from the Action Teams are:

1. Create a regional alliance to coordinate the clinical placement of Allied Health students.2. Expand the number of Allied Health clinical faculty (on-site and at colleges and universities).3. Increase access to clinical training opportunities by offering evening, night and daytime

programs; varying program start dates, providing simulation training, and expanding the student to preceptor ratio.

4. Build the capacity (i.e. Allied Health career counselors on staff) of health systems to provide career counseling, planning and assessment services, as well as workplace education, training and professional development opportunities for Allied Health employees and incumbent workers interested in Allied Health occupations. Specific training that was identified to be of importance includes supervisory training and access to online training resources. Professional cohort groups, financial incentives, flexibility with scheduling, and recognition of education and training accomplishments were also recommended.

5. Educate and encourage health system employers to invest in incumbent workforce development through flexible scheduling, release time, financial incentives and increased on-site real and online access to Allied Health professional development opportunities.

6. Establish a regional Allied Health website to promote clinical training, provide career pathway information, post employment opportunities, provide career awareness to educators and provide information and links to resources.

Northeast Ohio Allied Health Workforce Development Report - 2

Next Steps: Some of the recommendations are already being addressed and others will be in the near future. A third Summit will be convened in the fall of 2010 to begin work on implementing them. Actions will take place within individual organizations, among coalitions of stakeholders and at a state and federal policy level. Given the current availability of Allied Health jobs, the prospect for continued growth in the demand for Allied Health professionals, and the potential favorable impact of healthcare on the Northeast Ohio regional economy, there is every reason for Allied Healthcare workforce development to be a top workforce investment priority.

Acknowledgements

The Allied Health workforce development planning process has entailed the time and leadership of 176 individuals and numerous organizations. Organizations represented in this process are:

Health Systems Educators & Trainers Other OrganizationsAkron Children’s HospitalAkron General Medical CenterAshland County-West Homes Career CenterAultman HospitalBarberton Hospital (Summa)Cleveland Clinic/FoundationCommunity Health SystemsEMH Regional Healthcare SystemFairview HospitalHumility of Mary Health SystemMetro Health Medical CenterSalem Community HospitalSouthwest General Health SystemSt. Elizabeth Health CenterSt. Joseph Health CenterSumma Health System/FoundationUnion HospitalUniversity Hospitals

Akron Public School DistrictAshland County-West Holmes Career CenterAuburn Career CenterBaldwin-Wallace CollegeBryant and Stratton CollegeCCS Training CenterChancellor UniversityCleveland Metropolitan School Dist.Cleveland State UniversityCuyahoga Community CollegeCuyahoga Valley Career CenterEastern Gateway Community CollegeIT Certification InstituteKent State UniversityLake Geauga Education FoundationLakeland Community CollegeLorain County Community CollegeMahoning Cty. Career & Tech. Ctr.Mahoning Cty. Training AssociationMedina Cty. Joint Vocational ServiceMount Union CollegeNational College YoungstownPolaris Career CenterPortage Lakes Career CenterRemington CollegeSix District Education CompactStark State CollegeThe Literacy CooperativeTri-County Computer Services Assoc.University of AkronWayne County Schools Career Ctr.Willoughby Eastlake SchoolsYoungstown State University

Akron Regional Hospital AssociationCenter for Health AffairsCity of Cleveland/Employment ConnectionCuyahoga County Board of MRDDCuyahoga County Workforce Dev. BoardForum HealthGreater Akron ChamberMahoning County OneStopMedina County Office of Workforce Dev.NEO HealthForceNEO Management Info. NetworkNortheast Ohio Council on Higher Ed.Northeast Ohio Nursing InitiativeNortheast Ohio Health Science & Innovation CoalitionOhio Board of RegentsOhio Department of DevelopmentOhio Department of Job & Family ServicesOhio Hospital AssociationOhio Skills BankOneStop OhioRegional Talent NetworkSalem VNAStark County Workforce Initiative Assoc.Summit County Job & Family ServicesTowards EmploymentTrumbull Career & Technical CenterTrumbull County OneStopUH/Tri-C Accreditation BodyWIB – Stark/Tuscarawas CountiesYoungstown Workforce Dev. Board


Northeast Ohio Healthcare Facts: Northeast Ohio educates more

than 209,000 degree-seeking students from around the world.

Healthcare has created 21,000 new jobs in Northeast Ohio in the professional, scientific and technology sector since 1993.

More than $835 million in venture funding for 90 companies has been invested in healthcare since 2003.

Healthcare attracts more than $100 million annually in healthcare start-ups.

Healthcare has an impact of over $35 billion on the local economy.

Source: Cleveland+

A complete roster of participants can be found in Appendix IV.

Allied Health Defined

The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professionals defines Allied Health to be professionals involved with the delivery of health or related services pertaining to the identification, evaluation and prevention of diseases and disorders; dietary and nutrition services; rehabilitation and health systems management, among others. Allied Health professionals are divided into four categories:

- Diagnostic (Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians, Medical/Clinical Lab Technicians, Radiological Technologists)

- Medical Services (Dental Assistants, emergency medical Technicians and Paramedics, Medical Assistants)

- Non-direct Care (Dental Lab Technicians, Medical Appliance Technicians, Pharmacy Technicians)

- Rehabilitation (Occupational Therapists, Speech-language Therapists, Respiratory Therapists)

Urgent Need for Allied Health Workforce Development in Northeast Ohio

Many forces are creating high demand for Allied Health occupations: an aging population putting more demand on the healthcare system; the retirement of Allied Health professionals; advances in medical technology requiring new skills and knowledge; low wages and lack of advancement opportunities in other professions; and insufficient faculty to train enough Allied Health professionals—the educator workforce is also aging and their salaries are not competitive with those offered by private sector organizations. There is hard data that compellingly reinforces the urgent need for Northeast Ohio health systems, colleges and universities, workforce development professionals, Allied Health educators and policy leaders to assertively invest in and initiate strategies that result in an ongoing pipeline of skilled Allied Health workers to meet the needs of the regional healthcare industry and economy:


Architectural Rendering: Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center

Northeast Ohio Healthcare Facts Nearly 500 U.S. patents have been

issued to businesses in Northeast Ohio in the past four years.

Northeast Ohio is home to more than 480,000 healthcare, bioscience and support workers, including 9,000 physicians.

Source: Cleveland+

Ohio and Northeast Ohio are facing economic challenges of historic proportions, including a state budget deficit that is projected to be as large as $8 billion by 2012-13 (Source: “Official: Ohio in 'Recovery Mode',” Columbus Dispatch, July 8, 2010);

State and regional unemployment rates, caused by manufacturing job losses, automobile plant and related industry closings, exceed the national unemployment rate and are now hovering in the double digits (source: U.S. Department of Labor);

The sixth highest out-migration of people from the state in the country (source: U.S. Department of Labor);

Despite unemployment, a state budget deficit, loss of population and plant closings, the healthcare sector in Northeast Ohio offers great promise for improving the struggling regional and state economy by creating new jobs, career advancement opportunities and new businesses. The region represents 50 percent of Ohio’s Gross Domestic Product. It is a major center for innovation in biomedical and biotechnology developments.

Northeast Ohio has established an international reputation for medical research and development of innovative equipment and techniques that are attracting new companies from all over the world. The region also has the fifth largest concentration of medical facilities in the U.S., including those that are a part of NOHSIC. Based on 2006 data compiled by the University of Cincinnati, greater Cleveland hospitals have a total annual economic impact of $15.5 billion dollars providing for 137,197 jobs and generating approximately $399.4 million in state and local tax revenues. These figures do not account for new construction underway or planned for the near future such as the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Main Campus facilities and the future National Reference Laboratory, Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, Cleveland Medical Mart and Convention Center, and University Hospitals’ Ahuja Medical Center, to name a few.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that of the 30 fastest-growing occupations between now and 2018, 17 will be in healthcare or medical research. By 2018, employment in healthcare is projected to increase by 21 percent or by 1.6 million jobs. This trend is expected to hold in Ohio, as well. Ohio Labor Market Information indicates projected “tremendous” growth through 2014 in healthcare occupations. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services estimates there will be an estimated 22,176 annual openings for healthcare occupations in Ohio through 2014, caused by retirements, new technology and emerging new occupations (source: ODJFS). Currently, the Ohio Hospital Association reports significant vacancy rates in Ohio Allied


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/08/official-ohio-in-recovery-mode.html?sid=101



Health occupations such as Respiratory Therapy (15.1% vacancy), Pharmacy (10.6 % vacancy), Medical Technology (12.2% vacancy) and Radiology Technology (9.8% vacancy).1

An Allied Health workforce needs assessment survey compiled in September 2009 by the Ohio Skills Bank using data provided by 17 hospitals and health systems in Northeast Ohio indicated that there are 474 Allied Health positions currently available and by the end of 2012, this number is expected to increase to more than 1,780 unfilled positions. Hospitals reported the greatest projected future need to be for the positions of Medical Technologists, Pharmacy Technicians, Physical Therapists, Respiratory Therapists and Radiologic Technologists (see chart on next page).

On May 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act of 2010. From this legislation, it is expected that there will be an increased need for primary care, which will ultimately place even more demand for Allied Health professionals (source: U.S. Department of Labor).

The anticipated outcomes of expanding and improving the Allied Health workforce of Northeast Ohio are many:

A better educated, skilled and more globally competitive workforce. A larger, more diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce. More high demand vacant healthcare jobs filled by dislocated and incumbent workers. More advancement opportunities with increased pay for incumbent workers. A stronger tax base to support public services and quality of life for all. The region’s reputation for healthcare excellence sustained, if not expanded.

1 Source: Ohio Hospital Association.


44%

22%

16%

15%

9%

Regional Occupational Need: Percentage Change Anticipated Between Current Annual Openings and # of Openings in 3 Years

(Source: Ohio Skills Bank - NOHSIC)

Medical Technologists

Physical Therapists

Medical Lab Technicians

Respiratory Therapists

Cardiovascular Technicians

Employers

Workforce/ Human Services

Educators

Background

For the past two years, leaders of Northeast Ohio health systems, Workforce Investment Boards, colleges and universities, training organizations and coalitions including Northeast Ohio Health Science & Innovation Coalition (NOHSIC), Ohio Skills Bank (OSB), Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE), Akron Regional Hospital Association (ARHA), Center for Health Affairs (CHA), and NEO HealthForce have been engaged in a planning process to improve the preparation, availability and quality of the region’s Allied Health workforce. The process has been extensive and comprehensive. Key activities have included:

1. Allied Health Roundtable Dialogues held July 21, 2008 co-hosted by NOCHE and NOHSIC and featuring Dr. Lois Margaret Nora, president of Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy as the keynote speaker. Approximately 60 participants of the Roundtable dialogues addressed the urgency of Allied Health Workforce Development, key Allied Health Workforce Development issues faced by employers and educators, and ways to facilitate collaborative problem-solving and implementation of solutions.

2. Allied Health Workforce Summit I held on September 21, 2009: This Summit held at the University of Akron provided an opportunity for healthcare employers to address three key topics through presentations and small group breakouts:

o Gaps in Allied Health education and training, and employer workforce needso Improved access to Allied Health clinical training sites and improved workforce

readinesso Alignment of Allied Health licensure requirements with needs of the field

Approximately 70 representatives from Northeast Ohio health systems, training and education providers, Workforce Investment Boards, colleges and universities and other invited guests participated in Summit I. Mr. Brad Whitehead, President, Fund for our Economic Future was a featured keynote speaker and presentations were made by Sean McGlone, Associate General Counsel and Director of Health Policy, Ohio Hospital Association; Deb Hardy, Dean, Science and Health Technologies, Lakeland Community College/Ohio Skills Bank; Roy Anderson, Director, Education Partnerships, Allied Health Education, Cleveland Clinic and Tara Hall, Salem Community Hospital; Kyle Klawitter, System Vice President, Human Resources, Summa Health System.

3. Allied Health Workforce Summit II held on December 4, 2009: The second Summit was held at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn and featured remarks by William Russell, Associate Vice Chancellor, Adult Education and Institutional Collaboration, Ohio Board of Regents; Tracy Carter, MHSA, Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy, Summa Foundation; and Roy Anderson, Director, Education Partnerships, Allied Health Education, Cleveland Clinic. A panel presentation on the alignment of Allied Health accreditation, certification and licensure requirements was made by:


John J. Bazyk, MS, OTR/L: Chairperson, Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Programs, Department of Health Sciences and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy, Cleveland State University

Maria Delost, Ph.D., MT (ASCP): Vice Chair 2009, Chair 2010 of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) Review Committee for Accredited Programs; Professor and Director of Clinical Laboratory Programs, Youngstown State University

Barbara Leisinger, BS, MT (ASCP): Laboratory Clinical Educator, Clinical Site Coordinator, Instructor, Laboratory Administrator and Education Coordinator, Summa Health System

John Myers, BS, PT, MBA: Program Director (CAPTE Site Visitor), Physical Therapist Assisting Program, Division of Allied Health & Nursing, Lorain County Community College

Moderator: Deborah L. Hardy, Dean, Science and Health Technologies, Lakeland Community College

Key issues addressed by 125 participants representing healthcare, education, workforce development and training representations were:

o Gaps in Allied Health Education and Training and Employer Workforce Needso Improved Access to Allied Health Clinical Training Sites and Improved Workforce

Readinesso Alignment of Allied Health Licensure Requirements with Needs of the Fieldo K-16 Career Awareness and Academic Preparation for Allied Health Careerso Adult Workforce Development and Retentiono Allied Health Faculty Development

4. Allied Health Action Teams: At the second Summit, participants agreed to establish five action teams to review the ideas that emerged from the Allied Health Roundtables and the two Summits, gather additional data, research best practices and develop recommended regional action plans for key issues associated with Allied Health workforce development. The following Action Teams were established:

o Access to Allied Health Training: Co-Chairs: Roy Anderson, Director, Education Partnerships, Allied Health Education, Cleveland Clinic and Patricia M. Gray, Ph.D., Vice President, Health Care Education Initiatives, Cuyahoga Community College

o K-16 Allied Health Career Awareness and Academic Preparation: Co-Chairs: Linn Gahr, Region 8 Co-administrator, Ohio Skills Bank/Lakeland Community College and Beth Vidmar, Director, Human Resource and Workforce Development, Summa Health System


Access to Allied Health

Faculty Development

K-16 Career Awareness & Preparation

Licensing, Accreditation &

Certification

Incumbent Workforce

Development

NEOAllied Health

Workforce Development Action Teams

o Incumbent Allied Health Workforce Development: Co-Chairs: Tracy Carter, MHSA, Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy, Summa Foundation and Lisa Goetsch, M.Ed., Director, Workforce Development, Kent State University and Acting Coordinator, NEO HealthForce

o Allied Health Faculty Development: Co-Chairs: Deidre Windom, Director, Human Resources, Humility of Mary Health Partners and Frank P. Ward, Ph.D., Dean, Allied Health and Nursing, Lorain County Community College

o Alignment of Allied Health Accreditation, Certification and Licensure Requirements: Co-Chairs: Deborah L. Hardy, Dean, Science and Health Technologies, Lakeland Community College and Angela Key, PHR,CCP, Director, Human Resources, EMH Regional Healthcare System

Each Action Team consisted of a cross-section of healthcare, health education, workforce development and allied health field trainers. Between January and July 2010, Action Team participants fulfilled their charge to develop action plans that will remove barriers to Allied Health workforce development, diminish gaps between Allied Health education and training, and the needs of employers; increase the pool of qualified new and incumbent Allied Health workers, and increase K-16 student awareness of Allied Health careers.

Barb Greene, Principal, CommonGood Consulting, Inc. and Carla Sibley, Director, Community Partnerships, Akron Public Schools provided communication and process facilitation support to the Action Teams.

The remainder of this report presents the scope of work and recommended action plans of each Allied Health Action Team.

Access to Allied Health Training Programs

Action Team Leaders: Roy Anderson, Director, Education Partnerships, Allied Health Education, Cleveland Clinic and Patricia M. Gray, Ph.D., Vice President, Health Care Education Initiatives, Cuyahoga Community College

Action Team Members: Michael Glonek, Youngstown State University; Cara Padin, Southwest General Health Center; Marquita Rockamore, City of Cleveland; John Thornton, Stark State College; and Pam Waite, Center for Health Affairs

Key Question Addressed: What are potential solutions to improving access to Allied Health clinical training sites and how can we improve and support the clinical experience?

Action Team Research Topics: Alignment of training slots with employer needs Contractual relationships between employers and universities to support training of students Need for expanded access to clinical training in evening, nights and weekends Employer incentives and approved time for onsite training


Best practice of Center for Health Affairs: Student Max—centralized opportunities for Allied Health training

Collaborative design and management of CEU training and incentives by employers and educators

Best practice of Humility-Mary Health Partners(Youngstown) for central clearinghouse for clinical training and shadowing

Barriers to Allied Health training programs Regional standardized Allied Health orientation Best practices for criminal investigation process Models of innovative nontraditional Allied Health clinical educational experiences Tension between employer expectations for staff productivity versus need for time for student

training

Research Tools: Action Team survey of regional health system HR managers to assess employer training capacity

in Allied Health disciplines with greatest need: Laboratory (MT/MLT), OT/OTA, PT/PTA, Speech, Physician Assistant

Vendor development of a criminal investigation system to be administered by a Consumer Fair Credit Reporting agency

Best practice research of Student MAXTM—centralized opportunities for Allied Health training—this resource has been successfully used for Nursing since 2006 through Northeast Ohio Nursing Initiative (NEONI).

Best practice research of Humility-Mary Health Partners’ central clearinghouse for clinical training and shadowing

Northeast Ohio Nursing Forecast through the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation, CHA and NEONI can serve as a model for predicting supply and demand for Allied Health careers/professions.

Key Findings Physicians must be preceptors for Physician Assistant students. Employer productivity measures are a barrier to recruiting clinical staff as

instructors/preceptors. There is need and demand for evening, night and day clinical training opportunities. Contractual relationships between employers and universities were not identified to be a barrier

to student access to Allied Health clinical training. Employer incentives for onsite training exist for PTA, DPT, OTA, OT and RT in the form of

performance evaluations, career ladder and/or clinical instructor credentialing. No employer incentives exist for Physician Assistants or Laboratory. Humility-Mary Health Partners has developed an affiliation agreement template so that an

education affiliate has one agreement for multiple programs.


StudentMAXTM Model

Action Team Recommendations Physician Assistants (PA): Appeal to regional physician organizations to ask members to

consider training PA students (i.e. Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Surgery, OB, ER). Respiratory Therapy (RT): (1) Remove or modify productivity measures from those participating

in training students; (2) vary the regional assessment of program start dates to support the range of clinical experiences needed; (3) encourage academic programs to consider and ask clinical sites for evening, night and weekend shift student experiences.

Laboratory (MLT/MT): (1) Appeal to current hospital laboratories that are not participating in training MLT or MT students; (2) investigate if project hire money can be used for employers interested in training MLT/MT students using clinical instructors/preceptors.

Rehabilitation Sciences (OTA, OT, PTA, DPT, SLP): Consider 2 students to 1 preceptor model. Create a regional alliance for the coordination of clinical placement of Allied Health students. Promote preceptor (train-the-trainer) programs. Pilot the use of StudentMAXTM for an Allied Health discipline, an online centralized clinical

placement software system.

K-16 Allied Health Career Awareness and Academic Preparation

Action Team Leaders: Co-Chairs: Linn Gahr, Region 8 Co-administrator, Ohio Skills Bank/Lakeland Community College and Beth Vidmar, Director, Human Resource and Workforce Development, Summa Health System

Action Team Members: Melissa Carr, Tri-County Computer Services Association; Barbara Flinn, Cleveland Clinic; David Kleinschmidt, Ashland County West Holmes Career Center; Don Landek, University Hospitals; Danita Logan, OneStop Ohio; Ronna McNair, Cuyahoga Community College; Barbara Mikuszewski, Cuyahoga Community College; Kimberly Moss, Summa Health System; Molly Neider, Cuyahoga Community College; Bill Novak, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center; Ann Marie Ondo, Akron Children’s Hospital; Gina Pastella, Neo HealthForce (since resigned); Kathy Radigan, Willoughby Eastlake Schools; Belinda Richardson, Cuyahoga Community College; Carla Sibley, Akron Public Schools; Patricia Smith, Trumbull County OneStop; and Cheryl VanHorn, MetroHealth Medical Center

Key Question Addressed: What needs to be done to significantly increase student awareness of Allied Health careers and assure appropriate K-16 academic preparation for career pathways?

Action Team Research Topics:1. Identify and prioritize issues relevant to this area2. Research and identify best practices in Northeast Ohio and elsewhere3. Determine the interest of K – 16 educators in promoting Allied Health career awareness to

their students and to identify the types of programs and methods of delivery that would be most valued


Research Tools: Action Team survey was designed and distributed to 54 K-12 school representatives in Northeast

Ohio consisting of superintendants, curriculum directors, career development specialists, professional development specialists, science/health learning specialists K-12, counselors, school community liaisons, school improvement coordinators, executive directors, principals and assistant principals in Economic Development Regions 8, 9 and 12 representing the Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown areas. The survey had a 46 percent response rate from 26 respondents.

Key Findings: The Action Team’s research identified these prioritized needs in developing a sustainable approach to career awareness in the allied health field among K-16 population:

Academic preparedness particularly in math and science Engagement of parents in career awareness Adequate resources, including time, available to counselors/teachers to devote to career

awareness Availability of programs at non-traditional times outside of the classroom Curriculum alignment, on-site speakers and presenters (particularly those able to speak in

languages in addition to English) and field trips were ranked as most important ways to enhance career awareness.

The research also indicated that there is strong school district support of K-12 Allied Health Career Awareness with the belief that the focus of such efforts should be at the middle school level. Preferred educator methods for career awareness education include field trips, shadowing and web-based learning opportunities. Survey respondents indicated that a database of resources would be helpful.

Action Team Recommendations Conduct additional research, particularly in the areas of engaging K -12 educators, more

comprehensive identification of best practices and further evaluation of the impact of best practices to best guide students, parents and educators.

House and maintain an updated and comprehensive database with the www.healthy-careers.org site. Very preliminary research suggests that the cost of the database housed at the www.healthy-careers.org site would be $ 36,000 for the initial work and website maintenance would be $300 annually.

Market the Health Careers database with healthcare, education, workforce development and other professionals and stakeholders.

Conduct focus groups with K – 12 representatives for further research into what methodologies are most effective, rank/prioritize best practices as to efficacy, and promote access to Allied Health education and training opportunities.


http://www.healthy-careers.org/



Incumbent Allied Health Workforce Development

Action Team Leaders: Tracy Carter, MHSA, Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy, Summa Foundation and Lisa Goetsch, M.Ed., Director, Workforce Development, Kent State University and Acting Coordinator, NEO HealthForce

Action Team Members: Richard Biering, Akron Children’s Hospital; Sandra Bizzell, Cuyahoga County Workforce Development Board; Christine Bok, Ohio One Stop; Marsha Bucciarelli, IT Certification Institute; Jeanine Carroll, Cleveland State University; Diane Euchenhofer, Greater Akron Chamber; Elizabeth Gildone, Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Bill Hanigan, Medina County Office of workforce Development; Mya Hasson, Eastern Gateway Community College; David Kleinschmidt, Ashland County-West Holmes Career Center; Chelsea Mills, Towards Employment; Kimberly Moss, Summa Health System; Robert Paponetti, The Literacy Cooperative; Debbie Perkul, University Hospitals; and Cathy Rowan, Akron Children’s Hospital

Key Question Addressed: How can the advancement of incumbent workers into high demand allied health occupations be advanced by employers?

Action Team Research Topics: Employer capacity for training, providing access to available programs, and establishing learning

centers Employee assessments Review of current data to support investment in training programs-i.e. cost to recruit, learning

curve, lost productivity, benefits of retention, employee engagement

Research Tools: OSB Data, resources lists, ARHA Career Pathways book, NOHSIC videos by profession, Tri-C

career cards, online resources, United States Department of Labor publications and website, O'Net and others

Best practices: Cleveland Clinic: Project Reach Toward Employment planning tools

Key Findings – Data Review: Employers should review institutional policies and programs to support employee advancement

and education (i.e. tuition advancement/reimbursement, work release, etc.) Need to select institution and/or individual with responsibility for employee career

advancement planning, awareness plans, resource coordination, training and communication of postings

Advancement should be incorporated into employee performance reviews as a professional development component

Employees need greater awareness of opportunities for advancement, skills required, where to find help, job fit, employer-based resources, development/advancement versus performance management

Lack of alignment of basic skills requirements and resources to career pathways awareness and materials

The allied health profession lacks a "marketing" plan for each institution to ensure regular communications


Action Team Recommendations:1. Provide career counseling for employees that includes communication and follow up plan with

employee (and supervisor) to support employee in their education, professional development and advancement.

2. Establish employee cohorts; link student/employees for study groups and peer support3. Recognize employees for goal attainment (i.e. newsletter articles and related activities showing

employee advancement, degree completion)4. Establish awareness training for supervisors/staff to support career development counseling

(aligned with supervisor training action plan)5. Provide opportunities for employers to develop strategies in conjunction with other

departments to align employee advancement activities and plans6. Fund A.H. workforce development capacity-building within health system employers, education

providers, workforce developers and regional partners by having trained or certified (e.g. Global Career Development Facilitator certification) career counselors with particular expertise in Allied Health or create a pool of shared regional Allied Health or workforce development specialists; fund training curriculum and other training resources

7. Identify viable training providers and organizational capacity for internal training programs.8. Develop Allied Health career inventory and related tools9. Coordinate with Allied Health Care Awareness Action Team to prepare and utilize same

resources for incumbent and dislocated workers

Allied Health Faculty Development

Action Team Leaders: Deidre Windom, Director, Human Resources, Humility of Mary Health Partners and Frank P. Ward, Ph.D., Dean, Allied Health and Nursing, Lorain County Community College

Action Team Members: Stacy Buser, University of Akron; Barb Demyan, Southwest General Health Center; Carol Drennan, Kent State University-Ashtabula; Barbara Leisinger, Summa Health System; Barbara Pisanelli, Summa Health System; Monika Mokos, Southwest General Health Center

Key Question Addressed: What can universities, trainers and employers do to remove barriers and increase the regional pool of Allied Health faculty?

Action Team Research Topics: Regional availability of clinical sites and preceptor training Higher education and trainers’ understanding of workforce needs of employers Removing barriers and offering incentives for clinical staff to teach


Research Tools: Two surveys were initiated by the Allied Health Faculty Development Action Team. One online survey was completed by 106 out of 140 clinical instructors (76 percent response rate). A second online survey was completed by 48 out of 145 human resource professionals (33 percent response rate). Both surveys were administered to clinical instructors and human resource professionals at institutions in Northeast Ohio. (Appendix II)

Key Findings – Clinical Staff Survey: Perceived obstacles for clinical staff to serve as clinical instructors in their disciplines or

professional areas: High workload, employer expectations for productivity, lack of rewards/incentives

Perceived degree of employer support for professional development of clinical staff for clinical instruction: very strong

Participation as a clinical instructor seen as strength by peers? Yes Participation as a clinical instructor seen as strength by supervisor? Yes Types of instructor development activities respondents have participated in over past two years:

workshops/seminars, formal training, online courses, conferences Types of activities in which respondents would like to participate: workshops/seminars, brown

bag lunches, conferences Overall satisfaction with respondents’ roles as a clinical instructor: satisfied/somewhat satisfied Awareness of formal training opportunities in respondents’ disciplines: yes Suggested incentives for increasing number of clinical instructors: increased compensation,

availability of teaching resources, more recognition Reasons for choosing to be clinical instructor: increased knowledge, improved and expanded

skills, including technical skills

Key Findings – Health System Human Resource Professionals Survey: Allied Health programs utilizing clinical faculty: Medical Lab Technician, Radiology Technician,

Physical and Occupational Therapy Assistants, Medical Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians. It was noted that Radiation Technology is at saturation point at area institutions. Many Radiation Technology students move onto other specialties.

Items that qualify for tuition reimbursement at respondents’ institutions: college course work leading to a degree or certificate

Items qualifying for reimbursement through individual department education budgets at respondents’ institutions: workshops, seminars and continuing education programs

Perceived degree of support for professional development of Allied Health clinical instructors at respondents’ institutions: most said strong; however 14 out of 33 said support was weak or very weak

Institutions’ preference to develop in-house professional development programs for clinical faculty or send off-site: mixed with in-house higher than out-sourcing

Availability of in-house clinical faculty development programs: 53% yes Types of in-house programs being offered: workshops, seminars, collaborative programs with

educational institutions, computer based training Availability of facilities for employees to utilized computer-based training: 96% yes Opportunity for employees to receive paid time off to attend professional development

programs: 69% yes


Action Team Recommendations:1. Encourage employers to provide access to website for clinical training and instructions2. Promote regional online learning opportunities through centralized and individual institutions’

websites3. Initiate regional collaborative programs that develop and employ clinical faculty4. Encourage employers and supervisors to provide flexible workloads and schedules to support

clinical instruction5. Encourage employers and supervisors to recognize and provide creative incentives and awards

(e.g. CEUs) for clinical instructors whether in-house (at health systems) or through educational institutions

6. Identify and disseminate best practices for promoting and expanding clinical instruction

Alignment of Allied Health Accreditation, Certification and Licensure Requirements

Action Team Leaders: Deborah L. Hardy, Dean, Science and Health Technologies, Lakeland Community College and Angela Key, PHR,CCP, Director, Human Resources, EMH Regional Healthcare System

Action Team Members: Stacey Ashford, Remington College; Maria Delost, Ph.D., Youngstown State University; and Donna Moore-Ramsey, Cuyahoga Community College

Key Question Addressed: What needs to be done to align licensure, accreditation and certification standards with Allied Health training and employer needs?

Action Team Research Topics: Differentiating between certification and licensure for each high demand

allied health occupation Commonalities in accreditation processes between professions

Research Tools: Summit I survey with high demand occupation data High demand chart focused on high demand occupations of Physician Assistant, Respiratory

Therapist, Medical Lab Technologist/Medical Technologist, Physical Therapist/Physical Therapy Assistant

Asset Maps from Ohio Skills Bank Regions 8, 9, 12 Research resource: http://arha.org/Career/2010ARHA%20HealthCareerGuide.pdf Research resource: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/careers-health-

care/directory.shtml

Key Findings After review of the high demand areas of PA, PTA/PT, MLT/MT, and Respiratory, the Action

Team recognized that Respiratory and MLT/MT permit limited employment options with anticipation of licensure/certification.

Employers hire graduates on limited status and provide parameters for licensure/certification. Concerns were identified with the transition from PTA to PT—it is not a smooth transition.


http://www.naacls.org/

Several advisory boards exist across the region and the same stakeholders participate.

Action Team Recommendations 1. Collapse action team into another committee to ensure some periodic monitoring of

accreditation, licensure, and certification.2. Provide venue to share committee findings with the large healthcare community through a

website that is maintained and centralized for all to refer as needed.

Conclusion: Recommendations and Next Steps

The recommendations that emerged from the Action Teams and their planning processes are below:1. Create a regional alliance to coordinate the clinical placement of Allied Health students.2. Expand the number of Allied Health clinical faculty (on-site and at colleges and universities) by:

a. Recruiting from regional physician associations and hospital laboratories; b. Promoting preceptor (train-the-trainer) programs; c. Removing or modifying employer productivity measures to encompass clinical

instruction; d. Initiating regional collaborative programs that develop and employ clinical faculty;e. Identifying and disseminating best practices for promoting and expanding clinical

instruction; and f. Offering incentives and recognition.

3. Increase access to clinical training opportunities by offering evening, night and daytime programs; varying program start dates; providing simulation training, and expanding the student to preceptor ratio.

4. Build the capacity (i.e. Allied Health career counselors on staff) of health systems to provide career counseling, planning and assessment services, as well as workplace education, training and professional development opportunities for Allied Health employees and incumbent workers interested in Allied Health occupations. Specific training that was identified to be of importance includes supervisory training and access to online training resources. Professional cohort groups, financial incentives, flexibility with scheduling, and recognition of education and training accomplishments were also recommended.

5. Educate and encourage health system employers to invest in incumbent workforce development through flexible scheduling, release time, financial incentives and increased on-site real and online access to Allied Health professional development opportunities.

6. Establish a regional Allied Health website to promote clinical training, provide career pathway information, post employment opportunities, provide career awareness to educators and provide information and links to resources.

Next Steps: There are a number of next steps implied in the research and recommendations of the Allied Health planners that participated in this workforce development process. These include:

Reconvene all regional Allied Health workforce stakeholders in a third Summit in the fall of 2010 to learn about the research and recommendations of the Allied Health Action Teams, and secure renewed and additional commitments to help initiate the recommendations.

Acquiring regional, state and federal funding to initiate systemic regional Allied Health workforce development resources that build career awareness, expand training and grow the pipeline of skilled employees for high demand Allied Health occupations.


Convening, educating and securing the commitment of healthcare employers to invest in incumbent workforce development.

Meeting with policy leaders to educate about the need for Allied Health workforce development and to engage them to influence policy, convene stakeholders and acquire funding.

Identify critical links in the regional Allied Health workforce development system for hiring and placing Allied Health workforce development counselors or specialists to facilitate Allied Health workforce development (career awareness, assessment, referrals, education).

Convening high education and employer leadership to jointly develop strategies and incentives for increasing and retaining the number of Allied Health faculty.

Identifying action teams or taskforces to investigate the replication or adaptation of Student MAXTM, NE Ohio Nursing Forecast and other regional best practices in the region that can further workforce development of Allied Health professionals.

Build the capacity of intermediary organizations such as NOHSIC, CHA, NEONI, OneStops and others to effect systemic change that favorably impacts Allied Health workforce development in Northeast Ohio.

Appendices (in electronic format only)

Appendix I: Northeast Ohio Allied Health Programs1. NOHSIC, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education2. Northeast Ohio Educational Facilities Offering Allied Health Career

Programs

Appendix II: Surveys and Research1. Ohio Skills Bank Allied Health Educator Survey October 20092. Allied Health Career Awareness Survey – Summer 20103. Allied Health Employer Surveys and Summaries: Laboratory, Physician Assistant, Rehabilitative

and Respiratory Therapy Occupations4. Allied Health Faculty Development Surveys: Clinical Instructors

Appendix III: Best Practices in the Allied Health Field1. Allied Healthcare Model Programs and Best Practices2. Health Careers Collaborative—Cincinnati3. Healthcare In Practice (HIP) Best Practice-Career Awareness K-84. K-16 Solutions and Best Practices5. NOHSIC –Cleveland Clinic Sed de Saber Initiative

Appendix IV: Allied Health Planning Process Participants Roster


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