Building a Healthy Healthcare Workforce Tuesday, Feb. 15 12–1:30 p.m. EST
Together, we are developing a strong, sustainable workforce pipeline for Georgia.
You’ve been invited to join the Wellstar
By the year 2030, the state of Georgia could
Foundation’s fourth Healthcare Innovation
face a potential shortage of 50,000 nurses. The
Series event, bringing together thought leaders,
healthcare workforce has always been fragile:
community partners and industry experts for an
the demand for providers is outpacing the
illuminating and action-oriented conversation
pipeline, and the roles often require advanced,
about the future of the workforce. By surfacing
specialized training, which can be barriers to
new ideas and forging new partnerships, the
entry. The pandemic has introduced further
Innovation Series seeks to transform healthcare
challenges, causing increased stress and burnout
to better serve all Georgians.
among healthcare professionals.
Wellstar is focused on leading the way for
Georgia’s future economic prosperity requires
the future of healthcare here in Georgia and
collaboration between public and private
creating sustainable career pipelines so that
organizations to build and sustain healthy,
our communities can continue to rely on the
equitable, talented workplaces. We are hopeful
next generation of outstanding healthcare
that the conversation next week – leveraging a
professionals.
broad variety of local experience, expertise and
With this endeavor in mind, our upcoming session will focus on the important topic of workforce development.
a shared passion for our community – will drive new levels of innovation and progress in this important space.
EXPANDED PROGRAM
Welcome Sharing the health system and Foundation perspective To introduce the session, our speakers will offer a glimpse at the present workforce challenges for healthcare organizations, including Wellstar. They will offer examples of ways Wellstar is currently partnering with others and innovating to strengthen the talent pipeline and clarify that there is still much to be done. They will set our purpose and intention for the time together – to harness our collective insights, experiences, creativity, and expertise to consider additional, impactful opportunities to protect our workforce – and in doing so, protect our communities.
EVENT HOSTS Candice Saunders
President & CEO, Wellstar Health System Candice Saunders began her career as a critical care nurse and joined Wellstar as Chief Operating Officer of Kennestone Hospital in May 2007. Her experience and strong leadership contributed to advancement and eventual promotion to president and CEO in 2015. Under her leadership, Wellstar has been recognized as a leader in safety and quality measures, and as a great place to work.
Julie Teer
Senior Vice President, Wellstar Health System President, Wellstar Foundation Julie Teer uses more than 20 years of fundraising and public affairs experience to lead Wellstar’s philanthropic strategy and partnerships, elevating efforts to secure vital resources for the not-for-profit health system through strategic philanthropic community engagement and charitable efforts.
David Jones
Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Wellstar Health System David brings to Wellstar nearly 30 years of strategic HR experience and expertise to Wellstar Health System, where he has overall system-wide responsibility for establishing, enabling, and maintaining organizational effectiveness and positive workplace environment. He is particularly passionate about supporting team members in their career journey, providing key professional development opportunities along the way.
Keynote Panel Discussion Leader perspectives on workforce trends, shared solutions and diversity efforts Ensuring healthy, thriving communities
As we focus our attention on potential solutions, our panel of varied experts will share insights and observations about the workforce development challenges we face locally and highlight key trends to watch.
throughout Georgia requires a healthy pipeline
Our panelists will share examples of creative,
of skilled, compassionate and diverse healthcare
promising partnerships they are seeing across
professionals for the future. The demand for
industries, and together, we will learn about new
providers continues to outpace the workforce
opportunities to build a healthy, diverse, thriving
pipeline, creating challenges that must be
workforce pipeline.
addressed through new and innovative solutions.
KEYNOTE PANELISTS Sharon Mason President & CEO,
Cobb County Chamber of Commerce As president and CEO, Mason leads the Chamber’s efforts to create jobs, strengthen the economy and quality of life for businesses and the community while building Cobb County’s reputation. Sharon Mason became the President & CEO of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce in January 2018. Mason has more than 20 years of chamber and nonprofit leadership experience.
Katie Kirkpatrick President & CEO,
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Kirkpatrick is the president and CEO of the 162-year-old Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC). In her role as the Chamber’s vice president for business higher education she led the execution of key initiatives strengthening the region’s higher education ecosystem and workforce development.
Chris Pumphrey
President, Elevate Douglas Economic Partnership In his role at Elevate Douglas, Chris Pumphrey is an executive director with extensive experience pioneering substantial advancements to community, economic, and workforce development policies and opportunities, uniting the goals of businesses and communities to cultivate a robust, thriving county.
Nancy Flake Johnson
CEO, Urban League of Greater Atlanta Nancy Flake Johnson became president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta in 2008. She and her team have gained a reputation for delivering impactful programs that focus on education, economic mobility, and development in black communities; developing, delivering, and advocating for education and economic impact policy; and public and private sector partnerships.
Jill Case-Wirth
Senior Vice President & CNE, Wellstar Health System Jill Case-Wirth is an accomplished nurse executive with a successful career leading teams to transform and create value in healthcare. At Wellstar, Jill has strengthened the role of nursing by leading a comprehensive nursing workforce plan for Wellstar and the state of Georgia. Jill worked with state legislators, the board of nursing, universities, technical colleges and high schools to create a career pathway program geared toward earning a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing.
Breakout Sessions Focused attention on key parts of a thriving workforce pipeline Building a healthy healthcare workforce will take all of us, working together, as partners. We aren’t solving for a single workforce problem – we are solving for a number of issues that, together, have created the workforce landscape we face today. Issues like lack of access to healthcare and other critical careers from a young age, barriers to continuing education or healthcare career pathways, and the need to retain existing qualified team members are all contributing factors. To see true success in solving for our workforce challenge, we need to take a holistic view of the problem and address each of these issues as a part of the larger whole. Each of our solution-oriented breakout conversations focuses on a single point along an individual’s career journey – from early exposure to healthcare careers as students through continuing education and retaining talented team members by designing a world-class team member experience. These sessions are designed for dynamic conversation and creative thinking about key touchpoints in a career journey and the collaborative opportunities for we have for impact and change going forward.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS Creating Career Exploration Opportunities for Youth Inspiring the next generation of diverse, quality healthcare professionals and caregivers must begin with our children and youth, by educating them about what’s possible and engaging them in meaningful experiences with roles across the healthcare industry.
FACILITED BY:
Brandi Allen
AVP, GME & UME – Office of Academic Affairs, Wellstar Health System Joined by partners and experts from Marietta High School, Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and Wellstar Health System.
Expanding Skill-Building and Professional Pathways Expanding partnerships and programs with postsecondary academic institutions and technical colleges to create diverse pathways for all Georgians to access healthcare careers at any point on their career journey ensures a steady pipeline qualified team members.
FACILITED BY:
Natalie Jones
Executive Director, Wordforce Development, Wellstar Health System Joined by academic partners and experts from Kennesaw State University, Chattahoochee Technical College and Wellstar Health System.
Designing a Best-in-Class Team Member Experience Attracting and retaining an exceptional healthcare workforce by offering an environment that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, while enabling work-life balance and supporting employee well-being is a critical part of the workforce development solution. We must find new ways to ensure personal growth, learning and development are accessible by all.
FACILITED BY:
Laura Dannels
Chief Talent Officer, Wellstar Health System Joined by team member engagement and well-being experts from Wellstar Health System.
Closing Remarks Julie Teer
Senior Vice President, Wellstar Health System President, Wellstar Foundation
About the Healthcare Innovation Series The Wellstar Foundation is pioneering a series of convenings that bring together thought leaders, community partners and industry experts to further transform healthcare to better serve Georgians. Through a series of illuminating and catalytic discussions on lessons learned from the pandemic, Wellstar is advancing the road to recovery and reshaping the future of healthcare. The series covers topics of health equity, digital health technologies, behavioral health and wellness, women’s health and pediatrics and workforce planning. The Foundation seeks to strengthen and forge new relationships with community stakeholders. By surfacing ideas and harnessing funding partnerships, Wellstar can transform healthcare for all Georgians.
About the Wellstar Foundation Through community partnerships and philanthropy, the Wellstar Foundation fuels innovation and action to address vital needs of the diverse communities in Georgia. Through the Foundation, philanthropic contributions are transforming healthcare and improving access for all within four focus areas: health equity, behavioral health, innovation and workforce. Since 1985, the community has invested millions of dollars through the Foundation to support Wellstar’s mission: To enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. As a non-profit health system, our passion for people extends beyond our walls and into the communities we serve.
About Wellstar Health System As one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia, Wellstar serves 1 in 6 Georgians and places people at the center of everything we do. Nationally ranked and locally recognized for our inclusive culture and exceptional doctors and team members, Wellstar provides access to compassionate, high-quality care. Our passion for people extends into the communities we serve. As a non-profit health system, we thoughtfully reinvest annually in prevention and wellness programs, as well as charity care for eligible patients.
805 Sandy Plains Road, Ste. 100 | Marietta, GA 30066 | 770-956-GIVE (4483) | give@wellstar.org