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Virginia Mason launches academy to increase access to health care field
The Allied Healthcare Academy, a free training program tailored to individuals who have historically faced barriers to entering the health care field, will enroll its first students next month.
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The academy aims to bolster staffing across the Virginia Mason Franciscan Health system.
VMFH, which operates St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor and St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, launched what it describes as a “first of its kind program in the nation” through a partnership with Washington Association for Community Health.
Specialized training
The academy will offer state-approved training specifically for people who are neurodiverse, face socioeconomic challenges, or have other barriers to accessing educational opportunities. The academy will teach in a hybrid format including online instruction, in-person labs at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood and clinical rotations at VMFH facilities.
Dr. Dionne Dixon, a director of clinical education at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, talks about the Allied Healthcare Academy. Photo courtesy Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
VMFH plans to cover the cost of training and supplies and pay trainees as full-time employees during the program. They will also offer accommodations and varied instructional formats to benefit neurodiverse students. Those include additional time to complete assignments, visual captions, hands-on instruction and more direct time with educators.
“Embracing diversity is not just an opportunity, it is a vital component of our commitment to providing exceptional care,” Dianne Aroh, VMFH’s chief nursing officer, said in a statement. “We are building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and meets the needs of every patient and team member.”
30% vacancy rate
Students at the academy can enroll in four programs of varying length, allowing them to take on roles as certified nursing assistants, surgical technologists, and registered or certified medical assistants. The hospital plans the first cohort to include 10 CNA students and 15 surgical techs, but no MAs. There are also plans to expand the program to involve other positions, like cardiac monitoring technicians.
Upon graduation, students will move into vacancies in the VMFH system, which includes 10 hospitals in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties. VMFH estimates the positions offered by its academy have about a 30% vacancy rate across its system and will need to be filled to meet ongoing care.
As the health care industry faces an ongoing workforce shortage, training programs have become a frequent approach to fill critical positions. VMFH, for example, committed millions to Olympic College last year to expand health care programs on its Poulsbo campus.
Neurodiverse trainees
Dr. Dionne Dixon, a director of clinical education at VMFH who is overseeing the academy, said in an interview that this academy is unique because of its intentional inclusion of neurodiverse people. That sizable and adept demographic are often excluded from roles in the health care industry.
“We’re making a program with them in mind,” she said.
About 15-20% of the world’s population has exhibited some form of neurodivergence, according to the National Institute of Health, meaning their brain develops or functions differently than what is considered “typical.” The term encompasses a spectrum of conditions ranging from ADHD and dyslexia to autism.
Dixon, whose PhD focused on autism and identifies as neurodivergent, said it is important to engage this population and create a clear pathway for them to succeed. Not only will this support the growing need for health care workers, but make VMFH’s workforce reflective of the population it serves.
“It’s providing an opportunity,” she said. “This is necessary for the future of health care.”
Conor Wilson is a Murrow News fellow, reporting for Gig Harbor Now and the Bremerton-based newspaper Kitsap Sun, through a program managed by Washington State University.