A Model of Healthcare Education

Many of us have experienced it. Get sick, suffer for a few days and finally decide to make an appointment at the clinic. Then when you least feel like it, you wait and wait to see a doctor or nurse, who is swamped with patients and has little time for you. Perhaps a family member has a minor accident and you spend the entire day at an overwhelmed emergency room. Or it could be the worry of finding adequate, affordable care for an aging parent.

Delays in receiving care can be a minor annoyance, while long-term care might be a bigger concern. But waits for services, or even availability of competent care, could grow into a full-blown crisis. America's baby boom generation is getting older, bringing many more age-related health problems and an increasing demand for services. This will put a tremendous burden on an already stressed healthcare system.

By 2015, over 46 million Americans, or 15 percent of the population, will be over 65. The timing of that demographic change couldn't be worse. An acute shortage of healthcare workers has been building for years, coupled with advances in technology requiring increased levels of skills and training. That means there might be nobody qualified to take care of the graying boomers. The federal government estimates that the shortage of nurses alone in the U.S. will be up to one million 15 years from now. Other sources say the need could be as high as 1.75 million nurses.

There's no quick and easy solution, but Winona State University and a group of partners will tackle the workforce and education side of the issue through the newly established Center for Integrated Health Science Education and Practice. WSU will lead an effort among healthcare providers, other higher education institutions and community organizations to make Minnesota a leader in healthcare education, practice and innovation.

Approved by the state legislature and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in October, 2005, the Center for Integrated Health Science Education and Practice (CIHSEP) will receive $3.3 million for the first two years. The expectation is that the Center will enhance its funding through matching funds and institutional allocations.

Joining WSU in the initiative include four technical and community colleges, Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical, Rochester Community and Technical College, Pine Technical College and Ridgewater College. Partners from the healthcare industry are Winona Health, Benedictine Health System, Olmsted Medical Center and Olmsted Public Health Services. The Winona Area Public Schools and Rochester Public Schools are also part of the center.

As on the national level, Minnesota's aging population is demanding increased healthcare services. At the same time, more and more caregivers are retiring while fewer qualified workers enter health professions. Nursing is one of the most critical areas, but other health science professions such as radiation and respiratory therapists, sonographers, clinical lab scientists and health educators are also in demand.

In testimony before the Citizen's Forum on Healthcare Reform, a member of the Minnesota Nursing Association said, “Failure to address the nursing shortage will threaten the quality and availability of healthcare for years to come.”

According to healthcare educators, the situation is urgent. “There is a chronic shortage of skilled professionals, and the educators to teach them. Not just here in Minnesota, but in the states around us and all over the country,” explained Dr. Timothy Gaspar, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Science at Winona State.

“Hospitals and clinics have long-term openings for nurses and clinical lab scientists that they can't fill. We have to look for innovative solutions. More of the same is not going to work,” said Gaspar.

CIHSEP will focus on several areas, including developing an available and diverse workforce; preparing skilled professionals who can adapt to the demands and advances in healthcare; and delivering health science education that is closely aligned with the needs of the industry.

Partnerships are a key to the effort. “For higher education, the main goal of the Center will be delivery of health sciences education and training that is closely aligned with the health care delivery system,” said Dr. Christine Barajas, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Winona State and Director of CIHSEP.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to have to change the way we deliver healthcare in our communities,” said William Gould, Chief People Resources Officer at Winona Health, a member of the Center consortium.

Gould said the workforce shortage is a major component of the challenge healthcare organizations face, but added, “The work of the healthcare professional is getting even more complex with demographic changes, physiological changes, chronic disease processes and the advances in medicine and technology.”

“It is imperative that we build new models of developing our workforce. It must be fast, flexible and industry focused to keep up with current and emerging needs.”

Gaspar agrees with Barajas and Gould that the collaboration of industry, community and higher education partners is critical to solving Minnesota's healthcare workforce problems.

“The healthcare industry is on the front lines. They can tell us where their critical needs are, what works and what doesn't,” he explained.

“Our partner institutions of higher education are experienced at responsive workforce solutions and innovative education. For example, Pine Technical is a leader in virtual reality learning, which can be used to provide fast and accessible clinical experiences. CIHSEP is an avenue to further develop this kind of learning.”

“The field is changing rapidly, and we need to provide innovative pathways for providers to develop the workforce, plus use resources efficiently and wisely among our higher education partners,” said Barajas.

Gaspar notes that a major area of concern in solving the shortage of care providers is the pool of potential workers, and the faculty to educate them. “If we hope to expand the workforce, we need a larger base of students. Right now, there are many more leaving the workforce than entering.”

“And the entry of a more diverse workforce into the healthcare professions is a major area of weakness,” continued Gaspar. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 95 percent of all registered nurses are white. The Minnesota Department of Health reports that just over 92 percent of RNs in the state are white. 

The Winona and Rochester public schools, both partners in CIHSEP, will play a critical role in bringing more diversity into the region's healthcare professions. “Students, and more diverse students, need to see healthcare as a potential career. We need to reach them when they're young, so it's on their list of possibilities,” said Gaspar.

Gould, of Winona Health, and Gaspar see a related problem on the horizon:  a shortage of qualified faculty to teach incoming students.

“Qualified nursing students are being turned away from entry level baccalaureate programs due to a shortage of nurse educators,” said Gould.

“Even if we wanted to educate more nurses, more lab scientists, we couldn't,” said Gaspar. “We see it here at WSU when we're recruiting new faculty. We've had success, but others aren't. There are 98-plus permanent nurse faculty right now across the state, a three fold increased of the previous norm of 30 vacancies,” continued Gaspar.

Gaspar and Gould both think that a solution to the problem starts with bringing a deeper, more diverse pool into the health professions and providing innovative educational opportunities.

“It's not a one year shot, but none of this is,” said Gaspar. “With CIHSEP, we're laying the seeds to give more people access, and the opportunity to move forward.”

“Healthcare will not solve this on its own, and higher education will not be able to keep up with the pace of developing a highly trained, work-ready workforce on its own. We have to work together to create a new and different model to meet the challenges ahead,” said Gould.

With CIHSEP only recently approved and funded, Center director Barajas realizes the challenges are complex. “The environment is changing quickly,” she said.

“Our goal is to create a model for healthcare education, practice and innovation, and, ultimately, provide Minnesota's citizens with better access to improved care. We all win.”

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 9:28 by Brooke Sherer