2016 2017 summary progress report · the purpose of the scaling efforts grant was to create action...

1 Allied Health Advisory Group 2016 – 2017 Summary Progress Report

MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

ALLIED HEALTH ADVISORY GROUP

2016 – 2017 SUMMARY PROGRESS REPORT

Issued by:

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

One Ashburton Place, Room 1401 Boston, Massachusetts 02108


Table of Contents

About the AHAG: .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Update on Grants: ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Update on Sub-Committees ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Strategic Planning for July 2017 – June 2018: ............................................................................................................ 13

Summary and Closing: ................................................................................................................................................ 16


About the AHAG: In January 2015, the MA Department of Higher Education hired the Director of Healthcare Workforce Development. This newly created position was charged with implementing the goals set forth in DHE’s Allied Health Direct Care Workforce Plan published in June 2014. A crucial goal was to organize and convene an advisory council whose focus was on the Direct Care Workforce and represented a cross-function group of stakeholders. The Allied Health Advisory Group (AHAG) was formed and held its first meeting in June of 2015. The group is tasked to develop an implementation agenda based upon the recommendations of the Allied Health-Direct Care workforce plan approved by the Board of Higher Education in 2014. This group consists of representatives from community colleges, 4-year colleges, employers, industry groups, regional employment boards, and state agencies. The group meets 4 times per year on a quarterly basis. Meetings are in the morning for 2 hours and an average of 32 members attended each one.

ALLIED HEALTH ADVISORY GROUP PURPOSE STATEMENT

About the Allied Health Advisory Group: DHE is convening an Allied Health Advisory Group (AHAG) to coordinate policies, strategies and investments informed by the Direct Care – Allied Health Workforce plan. The AHAG will sponsor, lead and coordinate statewide and regional pilot innovation projects to increase the supply of qualified direct care professionals, and align curriculum to address emerging industry requirements for healthcare delivery improvements. Through regularly scheduled meetings, the AHAG will establish/revise action plans, address variances and corrective actions, assess project/program outcomes and future industry trends. Allied Health Advisory Group Purpose Statements: Through partnership with industry, employer, academic and government partners, the committee will engage and promote collaboration across this community by:

- Defining, developing, and executing short-term and long-range action plans to pilot innovations in workforce education and replicate/scale-up initiatives to achieve the scope of impact called for in these plans.

- Advancing strategies, policies and programs that address challenges facing the healthcare workforce. - Establishing a direct care worker career pathway that integrates core competencies training into

career lattice/ladder strategies. - Maintaining measures of the size of the direct care workforce, as well as projected growth, rates of

attrition and the gap between demand and projected supply. - Identifying a “best practice” career pathway model that supports direct care workers as they

transition to college and advance their education. - Engaging the community to address and overcome “Policy Barriers” to a sustainable program of

training and supports needed to recruit, retain and progress candidates into this workforce, and on to further jobs and sustainable living wage careers.


This past year has seen continued growth in professionals wanting to join the AHAG. It now consists of 96 members, and is assuredly heading towards 100+. Additionally, a new category of member was created to show our growing connection to community based organizations. The make-up of membership is as follows:

Update on Grants: The two grants that were made in 2015 and 2016 reached their halfway points this year and reported out on their progress. The grantees gave presentations at AHAG meetings on their work and summarized their accomplishments to date. It is important to note that full reports upon completion of both of these grants are expected in July and September of 2017. These will have a much more in-depth study of the outcomes, challenges and successes of the grants. For the purposes of this report however, only a basic overview will be given. More information will be made available here: http://www.mass.edu/nahi/grants/alliedrfp.asp Direct Care Worker Grant: Worcester State University and UMass Memorial Healthcare; $60,000 Project Aims:

To create, deliver, and support a program that enhances UMMHC direct care workers (DCWs) present and future success in their current roles and will help prepare them for future opportunities in other career paths at UMMHC.

To enable students to be college-ready and have credits that are transferable to other institutions in the region.

Successes

Redesigned existing courses to address the needs of the DCW and optimize student learning outcomes and program outcomes

Developed “Strategies for Academic Success for DCWs” curriculum to build college readiness skills

Customized courses to address unique needs of DCW Pathways Readiness Certificate students

Students received handbook/success guide by start of Strategies for Academic Success course.

Intrusive academic advising and career coaching provided on UMMHC campuses.

4244%

55%

2324%

1617%

1010%

AHAG Membership Breakdown

CC/STATE U

COMMUNITY ORG/OTHER

EMPLOYER/EMP REP

STATE AGENCY

WIB/REB

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/grants/alliedrfp.asp


Challenges

Students required much more support than originally anticipated e.g., in default previous loans, childcare, legal issues, etc.

Participant recruiting; Start time for classes

Reality of amount of effort required of students to be successful in college-level courses

Reality of career paths Responses

Doubled advising time; added more staff

Had tables instead of recruitment sessions; individual intake interviews

Staggered start times for classes

Partnered with QCC to broaden allied health program choices for students Scaling Efforts to Advance the Commonwealth’s Direct Care Workforce Grant – University of Massachusetts Medical School (project lead); Bristol Community College; University of Massachusetts Dartmouth; Greenfield Community College; MassBay Community College; Middlesex Community College; Northern Essex Community College; Quinsigamond Community College; Partnership for a Skilled Workforce; Home Care Aide Council; Mass Senior Care; Executive Office of Elder Affairs; Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Total award: $200,000 The purpose of the Scaling Efforts grant was to create action on 4 major priority areas outlined by the AHAG. This 18-month grant will conclude by June 30th 2017, but in the December, 2016 AHAG meeting, a progress report was given to members and showed the considerable work that had been accomplished. It is worth re-stating here that the overall collaborative effort between all the partners has proven to be the right model. In subsequent conversations, all partners have learned from each other through the process and were happy to be given the right environment in which to try new things and adopt best practices.

Priority 1: Direct Care Worker Pathways o Review and update existing curriculum that train direct care workers. o Integrate the updated curriculum into respective training/education structures.

Outcomes: Expansion of the ABCs for Direct Care Workers core competency curriculum to align with training requirements for MA DPH feeding assistant and unit assistants (pre-CNA)

Priority 2: Transferable Training o Review current PCA-CNA ESOL model for providing workforce training to limited English speakers. o Identify methods within existing state models by which current PCA/CNA training could be

enhanced to provide support for ESOL population. o Add a mentoring and success coaching component to existing Bridge to Health Care Careers

program to remove academic and life barriers that prevent students from enrolling in three key health care degrees and certificates: Nurse Assistant, Medical Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

o Utilized intrusive coaching model introduced during admission; weekly 1:1 meetings over 10-12 month period.

Outcomes: o Proof of the success of the intrusive coaching model through the following outcomes:

10/14 students completed QCC’s Bridge to Health Care Program


Two (20%) entered LPN program; One (10%) entered MA program; Four (40%) entered CNA program; Three (30%) didn’t advance due to personal issues: Homelessness; immigration; medical

o Creation of universal career lattice map usable across community college system (fig. 1 & 2) (Fig 1 & 2: Career lattices examples for Greenfield and Middlesex Community Colleges)


Priority 3: Development of Core Competencies o Enhance the existing ABCs to CNA Bridge educational ladder to ensure the inclusion of efficiencies

and removing duplications in the CNA curriculum components. Leveraging this grant funding, the updated bridge will connect to a Senior CNA training that encompasses enhanced assessment, communication, and leadership skills.

o Develop a crosswalk between the existing non-credit CNA/HHA training to articulate five-credits that can apply toward future academic certificate or degree programs.

o Develop a complementary “How to” manual to provide guidance to other colleges seeking to replicate the education to career pathways.

Priority 4: Leadership Training o Update existing three-hour supervision training to 4 hours o Develop a hybrid model with an online component to support employers and supervisor needs. o Align with nursing continuing educational unit (CEU) requirements.

Outcomes: o "Fundamentals of Supervision (of Direct Care Workers)." Ongoing development of core modules

and optional modules. Delivery options: Online, Hybrid, Face to Face o Pilot of course to run during late summer 2017

Overall expected outcomes of grant:

Updated PHCAST ABCs for Direct Care Worker curriculum that bridges into a standardized nurse’s aide curriculum, then provides further stackable credentials into a General Health Sciences Associates degree program

A mentoring and success coaching component that enhance QCCs Bridge to Health Care Careers program

A course articulation for the bridged programs that could provide pathway and credits towards a four-year Health Sciences bachelor’s degree

A “How to” manual that can be adapted and utilized at colleges throughout the Commonwealth who wish to implement PHCAST and develop a healthcare educational and career pathway for Direct Care Workers

An updated, 4-hour supervisor training: Competency Based Leadership for DCW supervisors, delivered in-person and a web-based delivery option

Up to 60 trained facilitators in community colleges, long term care, and home and community based settings

Update on Sub-Committees Curriculum Design and Alignment Sub-Committee Current members: 13 Initial framework:

Organizing efforts that lead to an eventual system-wide adoption of a competency-based curriculum for DCW-related educational programs

Organizing and soliciting feedback from stakeholders to provide input on a competency-based curriculum

Reviewing, amending and assuring any curriculum is aligned to the needs of employers

Sharing and disseminating of best practices around adoption of a competency-based curriculum


Progress to date: Curriculum Sharing Summit After the first publication in Spring of 2016 of the environmental scan of lengths, costs and variety of for credit and non-credit CNA/HHA programs offered across the system, it became obvious that a system-wide discussion of these courses would be beneficial. Therefore, In June 2016, the Curriculum Design sub-committee decided that the time was right for colleges to share their CNA/HHA curricula with each other as a step towards alignment of subject matter and course structure. In June 2016, DHE convened a C.N.A/HHA “Curriculum Sharing Summit.” All the colleges in the state who offer an AH DCW program attended and gave a short presentation about their program, and then answered questions from the group. This successful effort resulted in the production of the CNA/HHA Curriculum Crosswalk (see sample in Fig. 3)

(Fig. 3: Sample of CNA/HHA system-wide program crosswalk. Each college’s curriculum was compared to the DPH guidelines and to the PHCAST guidelines. This shows Cape Cod’s and Quinsigamond’s course breakdown)

7 5

DPH Guidelines

Lect

ure

Lab

mod

ule

PHCAST

Lect

ure

Lab/

clini

cal

Lect

ure

Lab/

clini

cal

Orientation 3 0 Orientation 3 The Health Care System 1

Overview 1.5 2.5 1 roles and resp 2.25 1 Role of the CNA 3Communication,

Observing, Reporting 1.5

Talking and listening 1.5 4 2 communication 2.5 2.5Observation and

Communication Skills in 6Human Needs, Growth

& Development Stages 1

Patient Rights and

Patient Environment 1 4 3 consumer rights ethics 3 3 Pt Rights/ Ethics 3Legal/Ethical, Resident

Rights 1

Infection control 3.5 2 7.5 4 Infection control 4 2 Infection Control 3 2 Safety/Body Mechanics 1 0.5

Employee and

Workplace Safety 2 1 3.5 5 safety 0.5

Standard Precautions/

Body Mechanics; Safe

Patient Transfers 3 6 Resident Safety 1 1

Patient Safety and

Emergency Care 2.5 1.5 6.5 6 safety 3.5 2.5HHA: Household

Safety; CPR/First Aid 15Basic First Aid,

Emergency Care 1

Safety Basic Restorative 2 4 9 7 Basic Restorative 6 3Basic Care 1 and 2 /

Safety; Rehab skills 6 3 Infection Control 1 1.5

Health Care Support 8 8 17 8 health care support (1) 6.5 1

Common Health

Problems; Family

Relationships 9 Vital Signs, Ht/Wt 2 4

Activities of Daily Living 4 4 12 9 Personal care 7 4 Oral Care 3 1Basic Body Structure &

Function, Common 5

Nutrition 2 5.5 10 Nutrition 3.5 3.5 Nutrition 3 Bedmaking 1.5 1.25

Housekeeping 3Preventing Pressure

Ulcers 0.5

Aging and Development 2.5 3 11Consumer needs spec:

aging 5.5 0.5 Aging 3Rehab/Restorative

0.5

Mental health of

Residents 1.5 0.5 2.5 12Consumer needs spec:

mental health/ DD 0.5 Mental health 3Hygiene: Oral Care,

Bathing, Grooming 3.5 2.75

Responsive care for

patients with Dementia 2.5 4.5 13Health care support (2):

Alzheimers care 4.75 2 Dementia 3 Repositioning, Transfers 1.5 4.5

Death and Dying 2 4.5 14Consumer Needs Spec:

death and dying 1.5Dealing with Grief and

Loss 3 Exercise 1.5 2

Culture & diversity 2 1 Nutrition 1.5 1

Taking care of self 1 2.5 15 Life skills 3.5 1.5Stress management /

taking care of self 3 Urinary Elimination 1.5 1.5

Advanced Nursing

Assistant2.5 1 3.5 16

Elimination/ Intake &

Output; Catheter care 6 3 Bowel Elimination 1 1.5

Vital signs 6 1 Develop. Disabilities 1

Other 3 12 Cancer 1Supervised clinical

hours 28 28Supervised clinical

hours 60 HIV/AIDS 1

40 50 120.00 goal 60.0 30.0 87.0 28+ 60 Dementia 1.5

Comfort, Death/Dying 1.5

Professionalism 1

Intro. Acute Care 1.5

HHA Supplemental 8.5

Supervised clinical

hours 45

Total Hours 45.5 21 + 45

FOR CREDIT & NON-CREDIT

Quinsigamond Community College

Total number of credits:

FOR CREDIT

Tri-Level Nursing Assistant Program

Total number of credits:

DPH Req Hrs

PHCAST

hrs

bridged

ABC

curri-

culum

hrs

Bridge

Curri-

culum

Total

Hours

Quinsigamond

Commuunity

College

Cape Cod

Community

College


The next step in construction of this crosswalk was to show alignment of topic areas between DPH regulations, the PHCAST curriculum and community college curricula. This effort showed how the colleges provide much more content and education to their students than what is required by DPH. (Fig. 4) (Fig. 4: A partial sample of topic area alignment)

Overall, this exercise gave colleges an excellent opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other. The 12 months following this exercise has seen many colleges make changes to their curricula and expand their offerings in order to assimilate best practices learned from peers. Moreover, this exercise has influenced areas of

7 5

DPH Guidelines

Lect

ure

Lab

mod

ule

PHCAST

Lect

ure

Lab

/

clin

ical

Lect

ure

Lab

/

clin

ical

Overview 1.5 2.5 Orientation 3 0 Orientation 3

The Health Care

System 1

1 roles and resp 2.25 1 Role of the CNA 3

Talking and listening 1.5 4 2 communication 2.5 2.5

Observation and

Communication

Skil ls in Health Care 6

Communication,

Observing,

Reporting 1.5

Culture & diversity 2 1

Patient Rights and

Patient Environment 1 4 3

consumer rights

ethics 3 3 Pt Rights/ Ethics 3

Legal/Ethical,

Resident Rights 1

Infection control 3.5 2 7.5 4 Infection control 4 2 Infection Control 3 2 Infection Control 1 1.5

Employee and

Workplace Safety 2 1 3.5 5 safety 0.5

Standard

Precautions/ Body

Mechanics; Safe

Patient Transfers 3 6 Resident Safety 1 1

Safety/Body

Mechanics 1 0.5

FOR CREDIT FOR CREDIT & NON-CREDIT

Tri-Level Nursing Assistant

Program Quinsigamond Community College

Total number of credits: Total number of credits:

DPH Req Hrs Bridge

Curri-

culum

Total

Hours

ABC

curri-

culum

hrs

PHCAST

hrs

bridged

Cape Cod

Community

College

Quinsigamond

Commuunity

College


training that employers have identified as needs as a way to further align program content with employer expectations. As a way to compare the effect of the curriculum sharing summit and to update information an updated system-wide CNA/HHA, a new program scan document was produced. This document reflects the new and updated programming being offered in the summer and fall sessions of 2017. The document can be found here: Inventory of Certified Nurse Assistant / Home Health Aide Programs Across Community College System. Progress to date: Employer Focus Groups After understanding what the landscape looked like for a system, committee members agreed that it would be useful to engage employers to find out if the current curricula for C.N.A. and HHA programs being taught at the various campuses are meeting the needs of the healthcare industry that employs them. A plan was then implemented to conduct a series of focus groups consisting of community colleges and employers to facilitate the exchange of information. DHE staff set out to engage Workforce Investment Boards and Regional Employment Boards (WIBs/REBs) to take the lead in arranging these groups in their respective regions. Between October of 2016 and June of 2017, six focus groups were held which represented 8 of the 16 Workforce Development Regions in the state and over 50 employers. At each regional focus group, there was a mixture of homecare, acute care and long-term care employers represented, along with WIB/REB staff and community college staff from credit and non-credit departments. In 3 of the groups, there were also behavioral health employers represented because of the overlap in hiring of direct care workers for both healthcare and behavioral health environments. A standard set of questions were used for each group, but not all questions were answered by all groups because of time constraints and deeper discussions to more salient points brought up by attendees. Upon analysis of the results, there were some clear themes that came out:

Not only is it hard to find AH DCWs, it is also difficult to retain them

Competing hourly wages and sign on bonuses entice the workforce to move around

Grads coming from community colleges are very well prepared, however they could also use some additional training in home care, mental health and substance abuse issues, and Alzheimer’s/dementia awareness

Oftentimes employers lose CC grads to Nursing; they go on to further their career so they are lost from the CNA/HHA pool

Skills employers look for: Compassion; Customer service; Good listeners; Working with diverse cultures; Dependability; Soft skills; Communication skills; Sensitivity; Reliability; Good judgment

Challenges for this workforce include: o Transportation, childcare, Multiple jobs, Sheer numbers of people needed to hire; Rate of pay;

Benefits cliff; Technology Skills Lacking o Cultural competency and diversity a specific challenge o Retention – competing with other low-wage jobs that pay more and are easier (i.e. McDonald’s) o Burn-out

Management skills for supervisors of AH-DCW’s would help with retention

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/MasterInventoryCNAHHAPrograms-May2017.pdf

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/MasterInventoryCNAHHAPrograms-May2017.pdf


At each of the events, the community colleges used the opportunity to probe deeper on some of the requirements employers were saying their direct care workers needed. For example, at the Cape Cod session, there was a clear theme that HHA’s would benefit by having more clinical time. The challenge is to find clinical spots for each student (because the nature of the job is one-on-one vs. CNA in which a group can be overseen at a clinical site). In the conversation that ensued, more employers offered up clinical spots and the program coordinator started increasing clinical hours in the time that followed. The complete report can be found at: Results of Focus Groups Conducted with Employers of Allied Health-Direct Care Workers 2016–2017 Scope and Role Definition Sub-Committee Current members: 13 Initial framework:

Defining the multiple career paths of direct care workers as a means to understand the broad scope of direct care roles

Connecting with employers to understand and collect data on how they define the scope of the roles for their direct care workforce

Advocate with stakeholders to inform best practices around having DCWs operate at the top of their credentials

Progress to date:

This year, the Scope and Role sub-committee completed work on organizing a crosswalk of BSN/RN, LPN and C.N.A. job duties as a way to begin to understand the overlap and potential conflicts that working beyond the scope of a role could cause. The group has decided that it will be publishing a white paper on addressing the ‘myths and facts’ of the nursing care team – essentially the RN/LPN/CNA team. The paper will take an informational tone first about clarifying the roles of LPNs and CNAs, especially in an acute care environment. It will also point out that CNAs are being asked to do more and more as patient populations get sicker and sicker, and hopefully promote a discussion on where is the appropriate limits to their job duties and capabilities.

Legislative Outreach and Policy Sub-Committee Current members: 2 Initial framework:

Reporting on legislative efforts going on at the state and national level that have a direct effect on the direct care workforce

Connecting with legislators and legislative staff to keep them informed of the work of the Allied Health Advisory Group

Organizing advocacy efforts to legislators regarding funding requirements needed to keep the work of the AHAG and DHE going

Progress to date: This sub-committee had not had the participation needed to maintain regular meetings. Through the course of the year, the two active members were dedicated to meeting with DHE staff as often as they could, and provided assistance on:

Keeping up to date on activity concerning the AH DCW happening in the legislature

Assisting DHE staff with writing informational pieces on the work of the Allied Health Initiative (see Fig. 5).

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/2017-06EmployerFocusGroupReport.pdf

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/2017-06EmployerFocusGroupReport.pdf


During the late winter of 2017, one of the members switched roles and was no longer able to participate. DHE performed outreach to the rest of the group for new members, but after no responses, it was decided to put the group on hold indefinitely. Fig. 5: 2016/2017 Allied Health Initiative informational sheet:

NEW – Nursing Assistant Certification sub-committee Current members: 13 Initial framework:

Documenting the misalignment between state training minimums for CNAs and needs of the industry; studying best practices that exist in other states

Documenting the need to update state approved curriculum

Collecting and documenting feedback from stakeholders on processes for certification of training sites, and testing methods/schedules for trainers and students

Other efforts as needed


NEW – Scalable Projects Sub-Committee Current members: 9 This is potentially a short to medium term group effort. The initial framework for this committee will be:

Identifying needs, projects or activities related to advancing the Allied Health Direct Care Workforce that have demonstrated results and could be scaled given additional funding

Identifying areas of need for systems change related to advancing the Allied Health Direct Care Workforce that could be piloted and/or rolled out on a larger scale if given additional funding

Identifying, investigating and connecting with potential funders, grants or other financial opportunities

Other efforts as needed

Strategic Planning for July 2017 – June 2018: The Allied Health Advisory Group performed two strategic planning exercises at its 6/13/16 meeting, as well as a “Looking Back/Looking Ahead” exercise at its 6/9/17 meeting. (see full reports at: http://www.mass.edu/nahi/projects/alliedmeetings.asp). Both exercises were invaluable for the group to understand not only what work has been accomplished, but also what work is currently happening, as well as where the continued needs are.

Goals and Themes Actions Status and Next Steps

Theme 1: Core Competency Development:

Developed stackable programs and courses (from non-credit to credit, from certificate up); Aligning pathways

Established a direct care worker certificate program

Restructured C.N.A. curriculum to include soft skills training, EMR training and supervisory training

Updated PHCAST curriculum Developed credit for prior learning

benefit for current CNA into other allied health programs

Improved CNA education and progression at many schools

MAAC published core competencies for LPNs (C.N.A. pipeline)

Refined supervisor training modules and created online option (Scaling Efforts grant) x2

Created mental health and elder abuse training for HHAs

Created training for HHAs Tufts Health Plan Foundation gave

grant to study HHA workforce

Promote sustainability of work done in ‘Scaling Efforts” grant

Continue to share best practices in competency based curricula among colleges

Roll out of new competency-based manager training

Begin to examine models in the medical assisting space

http://www.mass.edu/nahi/projects/alliedmeetings.asp


Theme 2: Developing Career and Educational Pathways:

Created listings for all CNA/HHA/PCA trainings at community colleges – posted online

Created listings for all Med Assistant trainings at community colleges – posted online

Building internal partnerships and creating pathways to bridge non-credit to credit CNA programs; Development of ‘blended’ (non-credit/for-credit) CNA/HHA Plus programs

Building connections with community colleges that didn’t exist before (industryeducation)

Regional WIOA meetings re: Healthcare Career Pathways like: ABE/ESOL credentials employment certificates degrees

Sharing best practices on career mapping widely across community colleges

Making UMMS career lattice widely available to other stakeholders: Career Centers; Voc Tech schools; etc.

Aligning curricula internally and externally and across a wider field (voc schools, universities, training programs, etc.)

Continue improving articulation between non-credit and for-credit courses, and identifying and mapping the pathways and systems needed to support entry level students to advance along an educational path.

Theme 3: Career Awareness:

By providing more support in the form of advising and case management, as well as clear career and educational pathways, it is hoped that more people will be interested in entering the field, and they will see opportunities for true advancement.

Bridges to healthcare career trainings with ABE/ESOL partners

PCA info sessions CNA/HHA info sessions Researched on methodologies CC’s

use to orient interested students to healthcare careers

Making UMMS career lattice widely available to other stakeholders: Career Centers; Voc Tech schools; etc.

Theme 4: Making the Business Case/Data Collection:

Partners in Care supervisor training Re-invigorating with community-based

partnerships like WIBs and long-term care employers

Hosting quarterly healthcare HR groups

Employer sponsoring CNA/HHA students

Partnership meetings with colleges, REBs, employers, CBOs

Connections between agencies/trainers, employers and local housing authorities

New online course for AH DCW

Reinstate previous sub-committee to make the business case about the direct care workforce

Gather and aggregate data on the labor gap; Costs for businesses; Aging economy; Best practices; Numbers of openings and projected openings

State economic effects of not investing in the Direct Care Workforce (i.e. longer waits for care, reduction of positive health outcomes, increase cost to system, etc.)

Publish a paper and/or fact sheets

Deliver paper to lawmakers and other


supervisors (July 2017) Collaboration with NSCC on behavioral

health and supervisory workshops for skilled nursing facility AH DCWs

stakeholders

Create a plan for engaging more employers on AHAG

Theme 5: Meeting Structure and Membership:

Government agencies collaborating on the AH DCW and LTC workforce

DHE collaboration with EOEA and EOLWD

Reaching out to more employers and state agencies

Redesigning meeting structure to include more time for open discussions and report-outs

Continue increasing and diversifying membership

Identifying leading OSCCs and WIBs who represent best practices in WFD of the AH DCW

Increasing legislative connections

Reach out to DPH, DTA for representation on AHAG

Use data collected from business case work to put together position papers

Figure out how to best tell the story of our work

Revisit the goals of the AH DCW report and produce updates on each

Theme 6: Engaging Legislators and Increasing Financial Support:

Collaboration on grants to increase access for workers to get into direct care training programs (Bridges grant; HHA grant)

Began Scalable Projects sub-committee in June 2017

Building partnership with Jobs for the Future

Reach out to legislators

Increase advocacy for the work of the N&AHI

Construct sustainability plan for projects highlighted in Scalable Projects sub-committee

Of particular note, in the June 2017 meeting, the group was asked to think about where the industry was at when the AHAG first began, and then was asked, “Thinking back to June 2014, how would you characterize that time for the Allied Health Direct Care Workforce? Are things better, same, or worse now? Why or why not?” Highlights of answers were:

“Great opportunity for sharing CNA curriculum – when we began we were all doing different things. In the time we’ve been meeting, I feel like we are working to get on the same page and teach the same things”

“Times have changed – things have gotten worse for this sector! When we began, unemployment was at ~5%. Now it’s at ~3.5%. Even harder to find and retain talented staff.”

The networking opportunities of the group is important – get outside your region

The sense of being involved in a ‘collective effort’ is very helpful o Helps those who are deep in this work make sense of the chaos we see around us o Good to get views of people who see things from the 30 ft view and the 30,000 foot view


Colleges feel like they are doing a better job of being predictive of changes in the sector, and may even be ahead of those changes in some cases

Political climate is a real challenge. Roughly half of the AH DCW in MA are immigrants. If there is any tightening of immigration policies – or change to the status of Haitians like is being discussed – it will be devastating for the industry

Summary and Closing: As we move into the next fiscal year, the priorities of the work of the AHAG will be:

Exercise good communication methodologies so that the public and the legislature are aware of the work being done by the AHAG through the Nursing and Allied Health budget line item

Look for alternative funding sources in order to continue to expand on the work funded by DHE as well as new work needing to be done

Continue to build cross-secretariat relationships with other state entities concerned with the allied health direct care workforce

Continue to increase employer representation on the AHAG

Continue to use the AHAG as a platform for sharing information and best practices, as well as identifying trends related to the AH DCW

The DHE wants to sincerely thank all the members for their time and dedication to moving this work forward. These professionals and their combined interest in solving the issues surrounding the direct care workforce, position Massachusetts to continue as a leader in training, developing and upskilling these workers. Prepared by: Geoff Vercauteren Director, Healthcare Workforce Development Massachusetts Department of Higher Education July, 2017

2016 2017 summary progress report · the purpose of the scaling efforts grant was to create action...

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