workforce training

��AV tapped by HRSA to lead health workforce initiatives in Virginia

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:23:53 +0000

��AV tapped by HRSA to lead health workforce initiatives in Virginia Mary Cunningham Fri, 04/19/2024 - 11:23

In This Story

Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner allocate $921,000 to expand training capacity and accelerate workforce development. Federal funding supports Mason’s Center for Health Workforce to serve as centralized technical assistance hub for Virginia health workforce development.

As part of a federal priority to address health care workforce shortages, ��AV’s Center for Health Workforce has received $921,000 in federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to serve as a catalyst and facilitator for regional health workforce planning and development. The center uses data and a collaborative model involving health and educational organizations, policy makers, community planners, and other regional stakeholders to understand local challenges related to the supply, demand, distribution, and deployment of health workers in Virginia.

"Virginia urgently needs to expand its health workforce to meet community needs and ensure local businesses can supply essential health care services, and we appreciate the efforts of Senator Warner and Senator Kaine for moving our proposal through the Senate,” said Caroline Sutter, co-director of Mason’s Center for Health Workforce and a professor of nursing.

This strategic investment in Mason’s Center for Health Workforce will address this critical need to grow and retain the health workforce by prioritizing regional and population health recruitment and retention through evidence-based planning and targeted interventions. These targeted interventions will help regional educational and training programs identify future workers who want to stay in the area to give back and improve the region that trained them.

The new funds will help the center expand from supporting three GO Virginia regions to all nine GO Virginia regions. GO Virginia is a bipartisan, business-led economic development initiative focused on changing the way Virginia’s diverse regions collaborate on economic and workforce development activities.

"Virginia's health care system is grappling with both immediate workforce shortages and the imperative need for long-term strategic planning to build a sustainable workforce," said Sutter. "These shortages threaten to exacerbate existing health disparities and impede access to quality care in Viriginia.”

Nurses, physicians, allied health professionals, and support staff are in short supply due to increased demand from chronic staffing shortages, unfavorable or unsafe work environments, and unrelenting workloads, leading to overworked personnel and compromised patient care. Demand for health care is skyrocketing while the workforce is shrinking; in fact, 23% of physicians and at least 30% of nurses reported they would leave their jobs if they could and 50% of workers said they plan to leave their health care jobs in the next few years.

“Mason is stepping up as a leader to respond to the needs in health care workforce development in Virginia, setting a precedent for effective planning and collaboration across sub-state regions,” said Melissa J. Perry, dean of the College of Public Health.

Additionally, the center will support the development of employer-led public-private partnerships that can leverage private resources and address barriers in public needs.

“This funding will allow our teams to identify and increase bi-directional communication between employers and academic institutions or programs that train future health workers, so that future employees feel prepared and supported in their workplace, thereby retaining great talent,” said P.J. Maddox, center co-director and professor of health administration and policy at Mason.

The center has the only integrated data system in the commonwealth to help strategize with data-based decisions around health workforce recruitment and retention that employers and academic institutions can employ in each region. For example, the center has analyzed the supply and demand for today and in 10 years for behavioral health specialists for a specific region. With this information, regions can better target their recruitment and retention strategies to help keep the future workers they train in their area when they are ready to practice.

This funding was allocated in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, by Virginia Senators Warner and Kaine.

“As the first College of Public Health in Virginia and home to the highly ranked School of Nursing, Mason is bringing together education, research, and community partners for the health and well-being of all, everything that we do. We are grateful to Senators Warner and Kaine recognizing the impact the center has already had in three of Virginia’s regions and for supporting our efforts to further support our roles as an integral hub for additional health workforce centers and organizations seeking to increase health workforce across the commonwealth,” said Perry.

Because population health needs, economic conditions, and resources vary widely by region (rural, suburban, and urban), there is no one-size-fits-all set of strategies to address regional health workforce needs and population health priorities. More importantly, regional problem solving is necessary to develop strategies for improving education and career development to meet employer’s needs, expand supply, and improve retention.

About ��AV
��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About the College of Public Health at ��AV
Mason’s College of Public Health—the first College of Public Health in Virginia—enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in its nationally recognized programs, including six undergraduate degrees, eight master’s degrees, five doctoral degrees, and six professional certificate programs. Comprising the School of Nursing and the Departments of Global and Community Health, Health Administration and Policy, Nutrition and Food Studies, and Social Work, the college also conducts transdisciplinary research that seeks to understand the many factors that influence the public health and well-being throughout the lifespan. With more than 500 partners, the college serves the community and engages its students through research, practice, and clinical care.

Topics

Center for Health Workforce

workforce training

public health workforce

Press Release

Press Releases

HRSA

College of Health and Human Services Receives $2.6 Million Grant as Part of AmeriCorps and CDC Partnership

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 16 May 2022 19:24:32 +0000

College of Health and Human Services Receives $2.6 Million Grant as Part of AmeriCorps and CDC Partnership Mary Cunningham Mon, 05/16/2022 - 15:24

In This Story

Rebecca Sutter, DNP, APRN, BC-FNP

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

Rebecca Sutter, Director of Mason and Partner Clinics

The grant is part of the first-of-its-kind Public Health AmeriCorps, which will meet public health needs of local communities and help rebuild the nation’s public health sector

The College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) has been awarded $2.6 million over three years as part of the new Public Health AmeriCorps program, an interagency agreement between AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The College’s project is led by Rebecca Sutter, Director of the Mason and Partner (MAP) Clinics and recently-promoted professor of Nursing, and Janusz Wojtusiak, Director of the Center for Discovery Science and Health Informatics and associate professor of Health Administration and Policy. With the grant funding, the College aims to increase community-based connections and improve patient referrals to both health and social determinants of health needs through the use of data analytics and community-based relationships.

“Mason is uniquely positioned to lead the way at this intersection between the CDC and AmeriCorps because of our expertise in health informatics, dedication to health equity, and long-standing relationships in our local communities,” said Sutter. “These AmeriCorps volunteers will be our next public health leaders, and we are excited to prepare them to use data to guide public health strategy and create stronger connections to underserved Northern Virginia families.”

Janusz Wojtusiak, Director of the Center for Discovery Science and Health Informatics

The project, "Mason Data and Technology Driven Public Health AmeriCorps Training Program," will receive $2,662,000 over three years.

Under the grant, Mason will train 30 AmeriCorps members to strengthen health connections to the community and learn how to use data analytics to improve care communication, care coordination, triage, and patient surveillance across two communities in Northern Virginia. AmeriCorps members will increase referrals to health and social services for under/uninsured community members.

This community-based training program is critical to building the public health workforce and serving underserved communities that are strained for support. With dedicated training, future leaders can become confident and comfortable with the variety of ways to support people in their health and wellness journeys. The training program also will help address broader public health needs that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, including mental health.

“Public Health AmeriCorps is a first of its kind response to the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social determinants of health. These new AmeriCorps members will add capacity to strained public health systems and build a career pathway for future public health leaders from underserved communities,” said Michael D. Smith, AmeriCorps CEO.

Public Health AmeriCorps will include a 400-million-dollar investment, over five years, to many organizations, including CHHS, from the American Rescue Plan Act workforce funding that will enable the recruitment, training, and development of a new generation of public health leaders who are ready to respond to the public health needs of the nation by providing public health service in communities.

Topics

Healthcare Workforce Development

Workforce Development

workforce training

College presidents discuss COVID 19 impact on fall reopening

Colleen Rich — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 09:00:06 +0000

College presidents discuss COVID 19 impact on fall reopening Colleen Rich Fri, 08/28/2020 - 05:00

U.S. colleges and universities in the coming years will lead the reeducation of a workforce displaced by COVID-19, ��AV President Gregory Washington said recently in a Chronicle of Higher Education webinar.