As the job market continues to rebound from the pandemic, one area seeing a strong need for filled positions is health care. One potential solution to helping bridge the job gap can be found at the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care in Hartwell. A group of newly-hired Patient Care Assistants can be found busily learning and continuing their on-the-job training.The Patient Care Assistant program is a new collaboration with UC Health and CityLink. CityLink Chief Program Officer Dani Watkins told WLWT the idea for the program came in seeing an ongoing need for health care workers coming out of the pandemic. “So COVID took everybody out,” Watkins explained. “And we saw a lot of devastation with our client population that we serve. This is an opportunity to not only rebuild and rebuild families and rebuild lives, but it’s an opportunity to really think about the future and the more training programs that we can have like this that are moving people toward a living wage and able to take care of their families. That is a big deal. And that’s what we’re all about.”The Patient Care Assistant program provides a free three-week basic education and training session with the ability to earn certifications. Upon graduation, people are guaranteed a full-time offer to work as a Patient Care Assistant at the Drake Center. In addition to formal education and training, the collaboration with CityLink opens the enrollees to a world of support services, including transportation, child care and financial wealth management.For context, a Patient Care Assistant is someone who assists Registered Nurses with important tasks like checking vitals, moving patients, assisting patients with needs and supporting patients’ families.”They’re huge, right?” Valerie Hoagland-Scarfpin, UC Health assistant vice president, talent acquisition, said of the importance of Patient Care Assistants. “Because if we don’t have them, that means the work still needs to be done. Right? And so having them there to complement the work for that character, I can’t emphasize that enough they’re there to reassure those patients. To be there for the patients and their families. Not having them means that we may not be as responsive as we need to be. Right? That they may not seem like there’s care being given level of care for them. And so having a great PCA engaged with that patient reassures them that at their most vulnerable time, they’re getting the patient support.”On Aug. 19, 15 people graduated from the inaugural Patient Care Assistant program. On Monday, the cohort started their on-the-ground training at the Drake Center.One of the newly-minted PCAs is Myeisha Steele. “It feels really good now that I’ll be working,” Steele said. “I’ll be able to support my family better,” Steele said. The next Patient Care Assistant program class is set to begin on Nov. 14 and will accept up to ten adults for the cohort.To learn more about qualifying for the program and CityLink’s offerings, click here.
As the job market continues to rebound from the pandemic, one area seeing a strong need for filled positions is health care.
One potential solution to helping bridge the job gap can be found at the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care in Hartwell. A group of newly-hired Patient Care Assistants can be found busily learning and continuing their on-the-job training.
The Patient Care Assistant program is a new collaboration with UC Health and CityLink. CityLink Chief Program Officer Dani Watkins told WLWT the idea for the program came in seeing an ongoing need for health care workers coming out of the pandemic.
“So COVID took everybody out,” Watkins explained. “And we saw a lot of devastation with our client population that we serve. This is an opportunity to not only rebuild and rebuild families and rebuild lives, but it’s an opportunity to really think about the future and the more training programs that we can have like this that are moving people toward a living wage and able to take care of their families. That is a big deal. And that’s what we’re all about.”
The Patient Care Assistant program provides a free three-week basic education and training session with the ability to earn certifications. Upon graduation, people are guaranteed a full-time offer to work as a Patient Care Assistant at the Drake Center. In addition to formal education and training, the collaboration with CityLink opens the enrollees to a world of support services, including transportation, child care and financial wealth management.
For context, a Patient Care Assistant is someone who assists Registered Nurses with important tasks like checking vitals, moving patients, assisting patients with needs and supporting patients’ families.
“They’re huge, right?” Valerie Hoagland-Scarfpin, UC Health assistant vice president, talent acquisition, said of the importance of Patient Care Assistants. “Because if we don’t have them, that means the work still needs to be done. Right? And so having them there to complement the work for that character, I can’t emphasize that enough they’re there to reassure those patients. To be there for the patients and their families. Not having them means that we may not be as responsive as we need to be. Right? That they may not seem like there’s care being given level of care for them. And so having a great PCA engaged with that patient reassures them that at their most vulnerable time, they’re getting the patient support.”
On Aug. 19, 15 people graduated from the inaugural Patient Care Assistant program. On Monday, the cohort started their on-the-ground training at the Drake Center.
One of the newly-minted PCAs is Myeisha Steele.
“It feels really good now that I’ll be working,” Steele said. “I’ll be able to support my family better,” Steele said.
The next Patient Care Assistant program class is set to begin on Nov. 14 and will accept up to ten adults for the cohort.
To learn more about qualifying for the program and CityLink’s offerings, click here.