8
PICKAWAY-ROSS TECHNICAL CENTER TEAMS WITH ADENA HEALTH SYSTEM TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE SHORTAGES Before anyone even heard of COVID-19, the healthcare industry was struggling to find qualified medical professionals. Dealing with a one-two punch of aging baby boomers requiring more care and an increase in patients during and after the pandemic, the need for skilled medical professionals nationwide is higher than ever. A medical profession at the forefront is medical assisting. Medical assistants have been one of the most in-demand medical professions thanks to their versatility. They are perfect candidates to help fill many open positions and assist other areas that may be understaffed because they have been cross trained to perform administrative and clinical duties.
The partnership began with its first cohort in 2019 and is now in its fourth cohort. The program, which won an Ohio Talent Development Historically, healthNetwork Innovative Project award, has been expanded care institutions to offer two cohorts per year conduct employee to meet the ever-increasing training with their demand. The most recent staff members when cohort is the largest to date, with 13 individuals set to qualified applicants complete the program in are in short supply, but September; the third cohort with this partnership, is scheduled to complete in Adena turned to April. At the completion of the fourth cohort, nearly 40 Pickaway-Ross to help students will have earned it fill the need. their certifications with the program.
In 2018, Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center’s Ohio Technical Center teamed up with long-time clinical partner Adena Health System to address its shortage in a unique way. Historically, healthcare institutions conduct employee training with their staff members when qualified applicants are in short supply, but with this partnership, Adena turned to Pickaway-Ross to help it fill the need.
Together, the two created a customized MA training program designed to upskill current employees at Adena who wished to advance their career in the SPRING 2022
health-care industry. The program was offered to current Adena employees free of charge through the Learning and Organizational Development Department and allowed employees to earn their MA certification.
In addition to two cohorts a year, the program, which takes place on the campus of Adena Health System, has undergone other changes and additions. The program takes seven months to complete, meeting three nights per week. The focus of the training is on the clinical component, anatomy and physiology, and medical terminology. As the students enter the final course of the program, they are moved into medical assistant positions within Adena Health System.
