Workforce Development

Investment in curricula and programs to educate and train both existing and new workers in the fields of healthcare, biotechnical development, research and public health will achieve the dual purpose of meeting workforce demand, while providing job opportunities for those who are currently unemployed, under employed, dislocated or displaced. Development of a local workforce to support HIE related initiatives, such as readiness, is a key strategy in meeting the overall goals and objectives of widespread adoption of HIE technology.

To better understand the specific needs of health IT organizations, MeHI convened two Workforce Advisory Workgroups who met over a one-week period: one for employer organization and one for educational institutions. The following is a breakdown of the objectives and findings of each focus group.

Objectives

Employer Organizations Educational Institutions

Define the current and anticipated talent gaps.

Identify competencies that are difficult to recruit.

Gain an understanding of current internal training efforts and opportunities within the organizations.

Gain an understanding of existing curricula and program capabilities.

Identify qualities of successful graduates.

Understand current challenges in managing and growing development programs.

Findings

Employer Organizations Educational Institutions

Employers face three key issues, as they address the changing needs of health IT.

Timing

The need for skilled workers is immediate – trained and on the job within six months.

Most of the workforce need is viewed as temporary – few are expected to remain after the

implementation period.

Skill Gaps

Applicants for the most difficult roles to staff require a mix of the following three skills:

Healthcare knowledge IT technical skills

Change management experience

A number of certification and degree programs are currently preparing students in Massachusetts for a career in health IT. These Programs focus on meeting the key skill gaps in the industry, including healthcare, IT and change management. Some programs are built to address all three of these skill gaps, while others are focused on one or two skills.

Certifications/Degrees

Certifications available today include Associate’s, BS, MS, PhD, and Certificate, among others.

Duration

1-4 years – variance is due to the certificate versus degree programs.

Structure

Variety exists between blended online and in-person

Employer Organizations Educational Institutions Economics

Organizations do not have funding to spend on training and have difficulty affording talent that is currently trained.

curriculum. Many have virtual e-learning and webinar opportunities.

Employer Partnerships

Apprenticeships; e.g., Labor, UMASS Lowell, Middlesex, Year Up

Short Term Needs

To fulfill the ambitious goals of HITECH and Chapter 305, a range of health care and technology-related skills will be needed in the near term. In addition to installing the technological infrastructure, a skilled workforce will be needed to integrate these tools into care delivery processes in the doctor’s offices, hospitals and other settings. These workers will help health care organizations to incorporate the new technology, modify their current processes, and train providers and hospital staff to use the information that becomes available. This will improve the quality of care and improve efficiency, thereby, decreasing total costs.

Given the aggressive schedule for deployment of EHRs, the immediate need for qualified Health IT talent and the availability of ARRA funds to support Health IT training, MeHI will work in coordination with key stakeholders, focusing on developing competencies to support the mission of the Regional Extension Center program. Specific roles have been defined by an ONC Workforce Technical Expert Workshop:

clinician consultant, implementation manager, implementation support specialist, practice workflow and information management redesign specialist, technical/software support and trainer. MeHI will employ the following tactics to meet these short term needs:

Coordinate with local colleges and employers to promote the Health IT curricula they are offering.

Set up a job board for job and internships listing across Massachusetts. There will be a nominal fee to post these jobs/internships on the MeHI website.

Medium Term Needs

As noted previously, the current health care workforce extends far beyond the professionals and staff in a physician’s office. On the job training, continuing education programs and certification programs in Health IT proficiency will need to be developed and offered by a wide range of universities and

community colleges. Current workers will need to be persuaded to acquire this knowledge and advance their careers. To further these approaches, MeHI is working with a regional consortium funded by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), to develop curricula and to train current and new workers in the basics of health IT.

To train the workforce that will fill the employment gap, the following health IT-based training programs are being considered:

1. Health IT Community College Consortia – Rapidly create health IT education and training programs at Community Colleges or expand existing programs. Community colleges funded under this initiative will establish intensive, non-degree training programs that can be completed in six months or less.

2. Program Assistance for University-Based Training – Rapidly increase the availability of individuals qualified to serve in specific health information technology professional roles requiring university-level training.

3. Competency Examinations – Provide $6 million in grants to an institution of higher learning to support the development and initial administration of a set of health IT competency examinations.

4. Curriculum Development Centers – Provide $10 million in grants to institutions of higher learning to support health IT curriculum development.

5. Employment/Training Administration Program – Provide grants for training and placement services for workers to pursue careers in health care and other high growth and emerging industries.

Long Term Needs

Ultimately, all professional educational programs leading to degrees, such as Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy must include in their curricula, coursework in medical informatics and health information technology. Likewise, all programs leading to certification in some field of medicine, such as lab technician, radiology technician or licensed social worker will need to include education related to health IT. Lastly, courses specific to medical informatics will be needed in both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs that prepare students for careers in public health, research and biotechnical development. Given the large number of academic institutions in the Commonwealth, there is significant opportunity to coordinate these efforts, so the needed educational content is available as soon as possible and made widely available for incorporation into existing programs in the state and across the nation.

The Future

MeHI recommends that the Health IT Coordinator continues to collaborate with employers and education and training organizations to ensure that the Commonwealth is developing the workforce needed to meet future demand for health IT-experienced professionals. The Coordinator should also track the successful the training and development programs are at meeting the demand for qualified workers and assess other emerging skills and workforce needs that develop, as circumstances change. The Coordinator should serve as a forum to facilitate discussion and coordination among the many stakeholders who have need for a workforce proficient in health IT. The full deployment and adoption of health IT will provide critical infrastructure for advancing improvements in the quality, safety and efficiency of health care.

Bristol Community College

Bristol Community College in Massachusetts has received federal funding as part of the Community College Consortium. Their focus is on practice/workflow and practitioner consultants, and on recruiting the under employed in nursing and IT. The program is six months long and accommodates 250

participants over a two-year period. Although the course includes a practicum component, they also offer as many courses online, as is feasible.

7.3.1. Massachusetts Health Professional Grants

Massachusetts received $6.8 million in grants for health care workforce training programs.

Grantee City Award

Advanced Education Nursing Grants

Northeastern University Boston $213,288.00

Northeastern University Boston $276,023.00

Boston College Chestnut Hill $292,634.00

Trustees of Boston College Chestnut Hill $261,270.00

University of Massachusetts, Boston Dorchester $285,799.00

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Lowell $224,406.00

Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Grants

Northeastern University Boston $71,886.00

Simmons College Boston $44,758.00

Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown $98,918.00

Boston College Chestnut Hill $69,132.00

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Lowell $18,502.00

UMass, Dartmouth N. Dartmouth $14,402.00

Salem State College Salem $32,446.00

American International College Springfield $20,813.00

Baystate Medical Center Springfield $19,040.00

Regis College Weston $98,981.00

UMass Medical School Worcester $45,866.00

University of Massachusetts Worcester $60,047.00

Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship Grants

Northeastern University Boston $23,875.00

Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention Grants Boston Health Care for the

Homeless, Inc.

Boston $199,435.00

The General Hospital Corporation Boston $281,168.00

The General Hospital Corporation Boston $292,614.00

University of Massachusetts, Boston Dorchester $269,004.00

Springfield Tech. Community College Springfield $220,536.00

Nursing Workforce Diversity Grants

Trustees of Boston College Chestnut Hill $315,782.00

University of Massachusetts, Lowell Lowell $315,671.00

Geriatric Training Programs for Physicians Grants Beth Israel Deaconess Medical

Center

Boston $671,549.00

Boston Medical Center Boston $1,091,985.00

Comprehensive Geriatric Education Program Grants

UMass Medical School Worcester $159,800.00

Centers for Excellence Grants President and Fellows of Harvard

College

Boston $782,645.00