Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center workforce development program participants
For the first time, Congress is considering bipartisan legislation that could significantly boost federal funding for workforce development programs led by Community Health Centers. The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) views these bills as a vital step towards alleviating the persistent workforce shortages faced by these essential healthcare providers.
The proposed Health Care Workforce Innovation Act, championed by Representatives Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and Angie Craig (D-MN) in the House, and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the Senate, seeks to authorize federal grants for health center-led partnerships. These partnerships would focus on training crucial allied health professionals, including medical assistants, dental assistants, pharmacy technicians, and community health workers.
Explore the House bill (H.R. 7307) press release.
Read the Senate bill (S. 4957) press release.
New Legislation Offers Hope for Addressing Healthcare Staffing Crisis
The demand for clinical support staff, often referred to as allied health professionals, is reaching critical levels. According to the Medical Group Management Association, optimally, each physician or clinical provider requires two allied health professionals to ensure efficient and effective patient care delivery. These professionals encompass roles such as medical assistants, dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, peer support specialists, and medical billing and coding experts. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects alarming figures, indicating a need for nearly 100,000 additional medical assistants and over 32,000 more dental assistants nationwide by 2036. This looming shortage underscores the urgency of workforce development initiatives.
Community Health Centers are proactively taking the lead in cultivating the next generation of allied health professionals. An impressive majority, over 80% of health centers, currently manage educational and training programs for clinical support staff. However, the absence of dedicated federal funding has significantly hampered their ability to expand these promising programs. This lack of resources restricts their capacity to effectively recruit and retain these highly sought-after professionals, hindering their ability to meet the growing healthcare needs of communities across the nation.
Advocacy is Key to Expanding Support for Bipartisan Bills
NACHC is urging Community Health Centers to actively engage with their representatives and senators to highlight their workforce challenges. Educating lawmakers about the potential impact of federal funding in scaling up existing community-based workforce development programs is crucial to addressing these challenges effectively. Advocates are encouraged to emphasize the dual benefit of these programs: creating well-compensated jobs with fulfilling career pathways in underserved communities while simultaneously strengthening the healthcare workforce. Sign up now to receive advocacy updates from NACHC and stay informed.
The Health Care Workforce Innovation Act: Scaling Community-Based Healthcare Programs
The Health Care Workforce Innovation Act is designed to amplify successful community-based programs through several key provisions:
- Strategic Partnerships: The bill empowers HRSA to award grants aimed at establishing or expanding collaborative partnerships. These partnerships would connect health centers with educational institutions such as high schools, vocational-technical schools, community colleges, and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs).
- Preceptorship Training Models: Grant funding can be directed towards developing preceptorship training-to-practice models. These models would provide invaluable hands-on experience for aspiring medical, behavioral, and oral healthcare professionals within integrated, community-driven settings like Health Centers.
- Healthcare Career Advancement: The legislation supports both the creation of new and the enhancement of existing healthcare career laddering programs. This support aims to incentivize young individuals to enter and remain committed to healthcare professions, thereby directly addressing and mitigating long-term workforce shortages.
Broad Coalition Backs Workforce Innovation Legislation
Beyond NACHC, a diverse coalition of organizations stands in strong support of these critical bills, recognizing their potential to transform healthcare workforce development. These organizations include: the National Rural Health Association, the National Network for Oral Health Access, Mental Health America, A.T. Still University, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the National AHEC Organization, the American Health Information Management Association, Primary Care Collaborative, Community Catalyst, the School-Based Health Alliance, and the American Physical Therapy Association. This broad support underscores the widespread recognition of the urgent need for workforce innovation in healthcare.
Community Health Centers: Incubators for Workforce Development
Across the nation, numerous Community Health Centers are already pioneering successful workforce development programs, serving as models for the potential impact of the Health Care Workforce Innovation Act.
Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center’s Maria Loredo Program: Investing in Staff Growth
The Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Oregon exemplifies commitment to employee development through its Maria Loredo Workforce Development Program. This innovative program provides up to $15,000 in financial support to every staff member, regardless of tenure or role within the organization. The program is specifically designed to facilitate staff pursuing education and certificate-level training that directly enhances their contributions to the Health Center. A wide range of educational pursuits qualify, from general college coursework towards associate’s or bachelor’s degrees to prerequisite classes for specialized programs and job-related certification programs aligning with current or future roles within the organization. In a recent three-month period, Virginia Garcia’s internal workforce development initiatives successfully supported the training and hiring of 11 dental assistants and 14 medical assistants, demonstrating the program’s tangible impact.
Watch a compelling video showcasing the transformative experience of a medical assistant within a Virginia Garcia-led workforce development program.
Cornerstone Family Healthcare: Cultivating Talent from Within the Community
Cornerstone Family Healthcare recognizes medical assistants as foundational to their service delivery. Reflecting the communities they serve, many Cornerstone medical assistants begin their healthcare journeys as patients, fostering a deep understanding of patient experiences. This unique connection enables them to deliver culturally sensitive and empathetic care. Medical assistant certification serves as an accessible entry point into healthcare, particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Cornerstone’s strategic partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) Orange, focusing on medical assistant and addiction counselor workforce development, underscores this commitment. They also recruit from other reputable programs at SUNY Dutchess and SUNY Ulster. While Cornerstone provides in-house training, the potential to expand these opportunities with federal support is significant. The Hudson Valley faces intense competition for healthcare professionals, with larger organizations often offering more competitive preceptor time, salaries, and training stipends. Federal support through legislation like the Health Care Workforce Innovation Act is crucial to enhance training capacity, improve clinical provider productivity, reduce patient wait times, and ultimately strengthen community service.
Minnesota Association of Community Health Centers Apprenticeship: Building Careers in Community Health
The Minnesota Primary Care Association’s apprenticeship program provides a structured pathway for individuals to become medical or dental assistants, launching fulfilling careers in community health. This 12-month program integrates on-the-job training at one of Minnesota’s 17 Community Health Centers with a required online curriculum, all while apprentices are employed full-time. Since its inception in 2022, the program has graduated 30 apprentices, with 16 currently enrolled. Notably, 25 graduates identify as BIPOC, and 10 originate from rural areas, highlighting the program’s reach into diverse communities. Graduates have progressed to pre-med programs, demonstrating the long-term value of community-based allied health professional training.
Learn more about the impactful Minnesota apprenticeship program.
Engage with Policymakers and Support Healthcare Workforce Innovation
For inquiries regarding advocacy for this vital bill or to share insights about your health center’s workforce development program, please contact Nick Widmyer ([email protected]) or Mandar Jadhav ([email protected]).
NACHC reiterates the importance of Community Health Centers communicating their workforce challenges to their elected officials. Highlighting how federal funding can amplify community-based workforce development programs is essential. Emphasize the creation of good-paying jobs with rewarding career paths in underserved communities as a key benefit.
