National Healthcare Panel of Experts Sends Inclusive Recovery Proposal to Congress & the White House

Access to Training, Transparent Career Advancement, and Pay Must Be Addressed to Build an Inclusive Care Economy Infrastructure

[Sacramento, CA] — National Skills Coalition (NSC) and Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) released a five-point policy proposal from its Healthcare Industry Recovery Panel to inform White House and Congressional negotiations around the President’s proposed $400 billion investment in Care Economy infrastructure under the American Jobs Plan.

Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health, served on the 15-member panel of leading experts from across the country and called for a set of policies — including expanding access to Pell grants and increasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates — that responds to the growing demand for direct and allied healthcare workers.

“The pandemic has taught us how quickly conditions can shift. Skills training is essential for workers to stay relevant as work evolves,” said Ton-Quinlivan. “Through the American Jobs Plan, the President proposed investments in our Care Economy and in the skills and pay of the people on the frontlines of that economy — Congress and the White House must fulfill them to grow our nation’s essential healthcare workforce.”

“Frontline healthcare workers across the country, who are predominantly women and people of color, have been caring for people in the most high-risk settings while adapting to new ways of delivering care in a pandemic,” said Andy Van Kleunen, CEO of National Skills Coalition. “These policy recommendations from Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan and other leading experts will help attract and grow the healthcare workforce our nation needs, while making good on the President’s commitment to an equitable recovery.”

THE PROBLEM:

Underpaid labor, lack of access to training, and lack of transparent and accessible career advancement were contributing to labor shortages in direct and community-based healthcare before COVID-19 hit — median annual turnover among nursing assistants was 99% from 2016 to 2019, according to the Paraprofessional Health institute, for example. Increased risk, new patient needs that put new demands on allied healthcare workers, and closed schools (a major issue for these gender-segregated occupations) caused many workers to leave the caring economy for jobs advertising higher pay and lower stress, like e-commerce delivery and warehouse positions, increasing unfilled job openings. The industry also adopted new practices and innovations due to changing healthcare needs, creating new jobs that require new skills.

THE SOLUTION:

In an effort to address these challenges and shape proposed investment in our Care Economy infrastructure, panelists have been meeting with federal officials over the last month in advance of publicly releasing their recommendations. They outlined five critical pillars to driving an inclusive care economy, all of which can be viewed here.

  1. Prioritize workforce investments and equity under the American Jobs Plan by including resources to train new and incumbent workers for an expanded caring economy; investing in childcare, transportation assistance, and other wrap-around supports; and measuring outcomes with a focus on improving equity and job quality. In particular, providing quality, affordable, and flexible childcare is essential given the gender based occupational segregation of direct and allied healthcare.

  2. Support industry engagement and equitable career pathways across the continuum of care by increasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, investing in Multi-Stakeholder Industry Partnerships to support inclusive career pathways, and encouraging state flexibility to support worker advancement and talent pipelines.

  3. Support nimble industry- and worker-responsive training and tuition assistance by funding integrated education and training to build foundational language and math skills; expanding access to Pell grants for high-quality, short-term training; expanding apprenticeship through the bipartisan PARTNERS Act; passing the Pathways to Healthcare Careers Act to support industry targeted training; and funding training provider capacity.

  4. Ensure healthcare workers and employers can adopt and adapt to new innovations by passing the bipartisan Digital Equity Act, investing in new Digital Literacy Upskilling grants, developing a measurable national standard for industry-specific digital upskilling efforts, expanding access to broadband and high-quality devices, and creating a Healthcare Extension Program to help local providers innovate and adopt new technologies.

  5. Incentivize employer investment in worker training and advancement by passing the bipartisan SKILL UP Act and expanding the Section 127 tuition reimbursement program.

NSC and BLU convened four recovery panels for the following industries:HealthcareManufacturingInfrastructure, and Retail/Hospitality. The Infrastructure panel recently released its recovery proposals and the Manufacturing and Retail/Hospitality panels will release their recommendations in the coming weeks.

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About Futuro Health

Futuro Health improves the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of credentialed allied health workers in the nation starting in California. We believe investing in education and skills training and retraining results in better-paying jobs for workers, better service for patients and better workers for employers to hire. Kaiser Permanente and Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) partnered to establish Futuro Health in January 2020 with a $130 million commitment.     

About National Skills Coalition

NSC is a national organization fighting for inclusive, high-quality skills training so that people have access to a better life, and local businesses see sustained growth. We engage in analysis and technical assistance, organizing, advocacy, and communications to improve state and federal skills policies.

About Business Leaders United

Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) is comprised of employers from a range of industries across the nation who are concerned about our nation’s skills mismatch, who are working with local partners to train and hire community residents for skilled jobs, and who want our country’s policymakers to follow suit and invest – aggressively and effectively – in the skills of America’s workers. BLU provides a common platform from which these diverse business leaders can jointly communicate to national policymakers, the press, and the American public about the effective industry-based strategies they’ve developed which could serve as models for a more comprehensive national skills policy.

Futuro Health Creates Opportunity in Healthcare with Google Career Certificates

For Futuro Health graduate Jamal L., having the support of an assigned Navigator to coach and mentor him through his Health IT Specialist program made all the difference in his pathway to completion. 

“Futuro Health has a program where a mentor can come check on you. The mentor I had during my Futuro Health program was awesome,” he said. “Having a mentor, having a coach is key. Being around a community, a team, or a group can help you get to where you want to go faster, with a lot less bumps in the road.”

Futuro Health’s unique student support services experienced by Jamal will now be made available, tuition-free. Futuro Health is providing 1,000 scholarships for job seekers to take the Google Career Certificates, which prepare people for the in-demand fields of Data Analytics, IT Support, Project Management, and User Experience Design. Futuro Health is also bundling the programs into additional training paths that prepare workers for roles in Healthcare Data AnalyticsHealthcare Project Management, and Health IT.

“We are thrilled Futuro Health is offering scholarships for workers to complete the Google Career Certificates,” said Bronagh Friel, Workforce Development Lead, Grow with Google. “By combining the program with healthcare coursework, they will create additional pathways for students to enter in-demand fields and increase their economic potential.”

The Google Career Certificates are available online through Coursera, and do not require a degree or experience to enroll. On average, they take three to six months to complete. In addition to adding healthcare coursework, Futuro Health further compliments the Google Career Certificates program by providing an instructor-of-record to support student learning, a practice especially important for the needs of students from nontraditional backgrounds.

To support online learning, Futuro Health will apply an engagement strategy using data science to ensure students who would not otherwise enjoy the virtual learning have a higher likelihood of completing. Students selected attend tuition-free, though pay some minimal fees. They will be supported by Futuro Health Navigators who assist students from enrollment to graduation. 

Upon completing, students gain access to Futuro Health’s new Job Search Marketplace, which connects graduates with job opportunities. Graduates of the Google Career Certificate program also gain access to its employer consortium of over 130 companies, including Google, that consider graduates for entry-level roles in the certificate fields.

“Futuro Health is committed to supporting students in their educational journey,” said Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan. “This partnership with Google allows us to expand our program offerings and employment connection services, helping us fulfill our mission of growing the largest network of certified allied health workers in the nation – always with attention to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

The Healthcare Data Analytics program reflects the growing influence of data in the delivery of care and equips students with a professional certificate recognized by Google. Students learn in-demand data analytics skills using spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, R, and more. Meanwhile, the Healthcare Project Management program, also embedding a certificate developed by Google, trains students in the high-growth field of project management, with an emphasis on improving patient care, reducing costs, and bettering the patient’s overall experience and satisfaction. The new programs are being offered through Coursera, an online learning platform. 

“There’s a perception that careers in healthcare require workers to be medically skilled,” said Matt Williams, Lead Faculty at Futuro Health and former Director of Data, Reporting and Analytics at Sutter Health. “But there are plenty of in-demand data, administrative, and human resources jobs that need qualified people. These new programs help students enter high-paying roles in healthcare that cater to skills outside of the clinical setting.”

Applications for both programs are now being accepted. Interested adults can apply online at www.futurohealth.org.

County of Orange, Orange County Workforce Development Board, Futuro Health Announce Collaboration to Create Opportunity

In partnership with the Orange County Workforce Development Board (OCWDB), the County of Orange (County) has launched a new career initiative with Futuro Health to provide job seeker opportunities in high-demand healthcare occupations.

California’s projected demand for healthcare workers is currently at approximately 500,000 by 2024. Programs to be offered to meet the growing need include the following healthcare careers:

·  Registered Dental Assistant

·  Community Health Worker with Behavioral Health

·  Care Coordinator: Chronically Ill Populations

·  Care Coordinator: Behavioral Health Populations

Through this new initiative, participants registered through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) will have free access to career training opportunities with Futuro Health and services offered through the Orange County One-Stop Center including:

·  Training in healthcare career pathways

·  Opportunities for job placement

·  Workshops on resume writing, interviewing techniques, and 21st-century career skills

·  Access to computers, internet, telephone, copier, fax machines, labor market information, and more

“We know adults are seeking to build skills that position them to move into good healthcare jobs and move up in this essential industry,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health. “We’re pleased to join with the county public workforce system to bring opportunity to residents of Orange County through this important partnership.”  

For more information including how to become a WIOA member or register for the program without WIOA status, visit oconestop.com or call the Orange County Economic and Business Recovery Call Center at (714) 480-6500.

The Orange County Development Board, through the Orange County Business Service Center and Orange County One-Stop Center, offers comprehensive services such as hiring assistance, career transition services, and employment services to businesses and job seekers at no cost.

Futuro Health is a non-profit organization focused on improving the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of credentialed allied healthcare workers in the nation. Futuro Health believes that investing in education and skills training and retraining results in better paying-jobs for workers, better care for patients, and better workers for employers to hire. For more information on how your local organization can partner with Futuro Health, contact partnership@futurohealth.org

Building Partnerships Across the Public and Private Sectors to Enhance Healthcare Education for Minority Students

Futuro Health Will Serve a Key Role in Consortium For Public Health Information Technology

Futuro Health, along with Cal State Long Beach, has received a $10 million grant to develop culturally relevant public health information technology, including improving COVID-19 data collection and increasing representation of underrepresented communities within the public health IT workforce.

The California Consortium Public Health Informatics and Technology (CCPHIT) Workforce Development Program, led by CSULB, will recruit, train and place more than 700 students in California’s public health workforce.

CCPHIT’s credential pathway will be supported by Futuro Health, a pioneering joint venture of Kaiser Permanente and the California Health Workers Union (SEIU-UHW), which has trained over 4,000 individuals into the workforce in just 18 months. Of these graduates, over 40 percent are Hispanic/Latino and over 20 percent are African American.

“Futuro Health is so pleased to play a catalytic role in forming this multi-system partnership between public institutions and bring more Californians into good healthcare jobs. Our collaboration with CSU Long Beach, UC Berkeley, and a network of community colleges will create opportunity for adults who aspire for good careers and better position the state to address health outcomes,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health, and former Executive Vice-Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

Over the next four years, community college and university partners will develop curriculum geared toward diverse students seeking to attain certifications, and/or associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Futuro Health will provide certification programming to equip students with industry recognized skills for those seeking immediate employment and will provide student support services, virtual educational platforms, and previously created curricula. In addition, Futuro Health Navigators will assist prospective students with the enrollment process and/or connect them with the nearest community college or university. Finally, Futuro Health will lead outreach activities to the broader community.

“I am so pleased that this project will form a consortium to collectively provide a high quality and unique educational opportunity for over 700 underserved students on interdisciplinary approaches in public health informatics and technology,” said Professor Kamiar Alaei, Department Chair of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach, and the principal investigator/director for the project. “We have numerous supports from over 26 public health agencies, major hospitals, education providers, community-based agencies and advocacy organizations who have made a commitment in the form of support, resources, expertise, internships, recruiting, outreach and placement efforts.”  

The CCPHIT is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the CSUs, UCs, community colleges, as well as private organizations to meet California’s growing public health demands. The Department of Health Science will lead CCPHIT in collaboration with the Department of Health Care Administration and main partners from other institutions including UC Berkeley, Cal State East Bay, community colleges such as Bakersfield College and Shasta College, CAL2CAL, Institute for International Health and Education, Futuro Health, and California Department of Public Health.

This grant funding was a result of President Joe Biden’s executive order to establish the COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board to ensure a sustainable public health workforce. It also coincides with the Biden Administration’s goal to train four thousand individuals on public health informatics and technology, which will also improve the nation’s public health workforce.