Wanted to share this article that appeared in today’s Cook County News Herald.
The piece is from NSHCF regarding the progress of the Workforce Solutions program and their community partners.
Notable contributors are Meghan Flynn, NSH Education Coordinator and Karla Pankow, NSH Director of EMS.
Their efforts have been highly instrumental in this program’s ongoing success.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed toward these worthy causes.
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North Shore Health Care Foundation grateful to partners and donors SUBMITTED BY INGER ANDRESS The North Shore Health Care Foundation wants to reach out to our amazing community to say Thank You for all of your support!
In recent years, Cook County has faced a critical shortage of emergency response personnel. Rural counties across the country have been particularly hard hit as they work to maintain emergency medical service access to remote areas. In March 2023 the North Shore Health Care Foundation, in collaboration with the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic and North Shore Health Hospital, took action and launched the “Investing in Our Future Health Care Workforce Solutions” program. This initiative works to address staffing shortages that had resulted in challenges to the Care Center admissions and a threat to continued ambulance services in Cook County. The Foundation’s mission is to seek out and address healthcare gaps in the community throughout this geographically diverse county that benefit all our residents.
A two-pronged approach was planned to address both current and future needs. The program began by working to improve access to high quality education and training for residents and students who were interested in exploring a career in a health care field by creating a new training center located in Cook County. Pharmacy technicians, certified nursing assistants (CNA), and EMT/ EMRs are examples of these positions. The curriculum had been written and approved by the appropriate regulatory boards. Continuing education for the current hospital, clinic, ambulance, and first responder staff was also of vital importance. The ability to attend accredited trainings, without the need to travel outside the county, was identified as a critical factor in sustaining the present health care workforce, as well as important in attracting future practitioners to the community.
The purchase of a Simulation Manikin provided state-of-the-art technology required to offer hands-on experience in both chronic and acute settings. This was the second prong of the Workforce Solutions program. Among the many uses for the Manikin are in performing bedside care, for IV placement, and everything from cardiac incidents to severe trauma situations. Simulation allows trainees to practice real-life medical circumstances in a safe learning setting. However, safe learning settings are not the only place that medical care needs to be given. Consequently, the Manikin in Cook County has been in a variety of places that are not typical learning environments. According to NSH education staff, the Manikin has been in many scenarios including awkward positions between the toilet and the wall; as well as in many outdoor situations such as challenging extrications, working in ditches, and carrying the Manikin through rugged Cook County terrain. The addition of this technology has proven to be a game changer for current and future medical providers and the residents of the County.
Since the program’s inception in 2023, great progress has been made in both training and increasing certified medical personnel in Cook County. A recent update from Meghan Flynn, Education Coordinator, and Karla Pankow, Director of Emergency Medical Services of NSH revealed the following.
Inherent to the success of these educational opportunities, this initiative by the NSHCF has helped to graduate four Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and has two more applicants set to form an additional cohort this past year. Prior to the program, at its low point the County maintained approximately two full-time EMTs. The EMT program has now graduated eight new staff members; and an initial EMR course with twelve participants will be completed this month. Additionally, first responders from North Shore Health, Lutsen, Grand Portage, and Colvill Fire and Rescue Departments completed refresher courses in September 2024.
Sustainable healthcare services means continuing this certified education to the licensing and accreditation of medical practitioners. The following courses are now able to be offered in Cook County to fulfill those requirements. A Critical Advanced Life Support course was held in November 2023 with twenty-six participants including registered nurses (RNs) and physicians from both local and regional hospitals. This course is designed for rural and remote area care in life threatening emergencies. In April 2024, a Trauma Nurse Care Course was attended by seven RNs to practice the knowledge and critical thinking skills in acute trauma situations. In May 2024, two courses were offered: a cardiac arrhythmia/EKG training and a Chest Tube Simulation training; both attended by physicians, RNs, paramedics, and EMTs. Continuing education has also resulted in one RN and EMT working to complete their paramedic certification, two EMTs are in the process of becoming paramedics, and two EMTs are in the process of becoming registered nurses.
Although staffing shortages remain in nearly all rural settings in the country, the North Shore Health Care Foundation’s ‘Investing in Our Future Health Care Workforce Solutions’ program is continuing its mission to expand access both to high quality medical education and the creation of new jobs in critical employment fields. Future goals include expanding training programs for local high school students interested in becoming CNAs or EMT/EMRs and continuing to update Simulation Manikin software to meet cutting-edge health care challenges. The NSHCF foundation is grateful for their community partners and donors who have made all of this important work possible!