National Pioneer Employer Hospital Initiative Highlights Programs
(Albany, NY) — Four hospitals and health systems in New York State were part of a national study that found employers whose policies help frontline workers develop careers in health care resulted in an improved quality of life for the workers and a measurable return for the organization.
The Pioneer Employer Hospital Initiative selected four Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) members—Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, Faxton-St. Luke’s Healthcare in Utica, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip, and Thompson Health in Canandaigua—for the 11-facility study to see the benefits of continuing education for frontline workers.
Frontline workers include nursing assistants, medical assistants, technicians and community health workers, as well as health care auxiliary and support roles, such as those focused on housekeeping, nutrition services, and laundry. These positions do not require a Bachelor’s degree. The Pioneer Employer Hospital study sought hospitals that had programs beyond tuition reimbursement or scholarships, such as credentialing, job-specific training, basic skills development, and leadership programs.
The study found that facilities with training programs and initiatives had various positive outcomes, including improved retention of valuable employees, the ability to directly address mid-level staffing shortages, improved skills of frontline workers, and increased diversity in the workforce. Full results and case studies are available online (PDF).
Increasingly, health care organizations are recognizing the importance of investing in training and development of frontline workers, a group that comprises more than half of the health care workforce and provides a large proportion of direct care.
HANYS partnered with the Health Work Force Institute at the Washington State Hospital Association, Hitachi Foundation, and University of North Carolina Institute on Aging for the Pioneer Employer Hospital Initiative to identify and showcase the traits of successful programs.
The Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) is the only statewide hospital and continuing care association in New York State, representing 500 non-profit and public hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, and other health care organizations.
