Last October, I was a part of a global panel put on by Women in Global Health, related to their report on why women in healthcare positions are resigning at concerning rates. Given the high proportion of females who comprise the healthcare workforce, this should be alarming to all.
As all healthcare providers know, retaining the current workforce holds primacy. Losing a nurse trainee within their first year of employment is a tragedy of investment – time and money invested by all parties, from the individual to the institutions that trained them and the employers who provided the clinical rotations. In my upcoming WorkforceRx podcast, CEO David Jarrard of Jarrard, Inc., a strategic healthcare communications firm whose clientele includes 1000+ healthcare employers, highlights how employers are reviewing the big and small in the daily routine of employees to fix sources of dissatisfaction. Issues range from scheduling, the ready availability of consumables to perform a job task, to job training and career pathing.
We are heartened to hear about employer’s retention efforts as we undertake Futuro Health’s work to bring untapped talents in communities into roles in healthcare. And, we expect our Scholars to persist and thrive in the industry. Since our organization’s inception, Futuro Health enrolled over 8,000 Futuro Health Scholars onto unique education journeys that lead them into healthcare credentials valued by employers – at low or no cost. We address the critical shortage in the allied healthcare workforce, and Futuro Health Scholars gain the opportunity to move into healthcare in good roles like phlebotomists, medical assistants, pharmacy techs, surgical techs, and more.
Interestingly, it’s the resiliency of our Scholars that impresses and will be an asset for an industry that articulates the importance of health equity. Listen to the stories of Futuro Health Scholars:
Latoya G.
Futuro Health Scholar
Medical Assistant Program
Tomas W.
Futuro Health Scholar
Sterile Processing Technician Program
Tomas immigrated to the United States from Uganda in 2019 to pursue an education, support his family, and live a happier life. Unfortunately, after losing his job at an IT company, he found it difficult to stay afloat. He decided to pursue a different career path and took the leap of enrolling in the Sterile Processing Program with Futuro Health. “I would love to get to a place where I’m able to support my family…give them the life that they don’t currently have. For me, that is always something that has been my main motivation.”
Futuro Health remains steadfast in our commitment to nurturing a diverse and resilient healthcare workforce, one that is equipped to meet the demands of today and the future — with gratitude, love, and unwavering support for our Scholars.
Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan is a nationally recognized expert in workforce development. Her distinguished career spans the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. She is a White House Champion of Change and California Steward Leader, and formerly served as Executive Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
