Partnership between JCTC and Norton helps adults transition to better jobs and expands clinical care workforce.

By Lisa Brosky

It is job she says she never minds getting up for and as a result it has propelled her interest in a medical career.

Maria Carlton currently works as a receptionist for Norton Healthcare’s Immediate Care Center on Preston Highway. She also spends her Saturdays and some evenings in the classroom at Jefferson Community & Technical College.

She is getting the opportunity to transition to clinical care as a medical assistant and limited medical radiographer thanks to a partnership with Norton and Jefferson.

With a workforce thousands deep, Norton Healthcare has long understood the power of “growing its own employees.” As clinical needs arose, Norton tapped non-healthcare staff interested in retraining for new fields that often come with better pay and more advancement opportunities, and employees who wanted to benefit from higher education and the opportunities that come with it.

So when Norton needed more qualified medical assistants for its physician practices, it turned to its current workforce, and to a familiar partner, Jefferson Community & Technical College.

“Norton Healthcare and JCTC have a long history of developing programs that support the development of the local healthcare workforce,” said Tony Bohn, vice president of human resources for Norton Healthcare. “This program is one additional example of the success that can be achieved through these types of public-private partnerships.”

Grant Makes Program Reality
The partnership was aided by a federal grant obtained by Jefferson focused on helping adults transition to better jobs through education programs that last less than two years.

Jefferson was one of 10 colleges in the United States that collaborated in writing a proposal for the Department of Labor grant known as The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training. The college became one of 10 Health Pathways Partners (H2P), which are incorporating several related components for improving health career education, one of which involves high-demand program expansion and workforce “grow-your-own” initiatives, said Carolyn O’Daniel, Ed.d., Jefferson’s dean of allied health and nursing.

“It was the perfect match at right time,” O’Daniel said. “Jefferson was able to fund new ‘grow-your-own’ sections through the grant, and Norton identified incumbent workers whose skills need upgrading.”

The objective of the grant was to provide institutions of higher education with the resources to expand their capacity to provide training for individuals “to obtain employment in good jobs where they are likely to remain employed and earn family-sustaining wages.”

Jefferson was able to open an evening/weekend section of medical assisting for 15 Norton Healthcare physician practice employees. Once they complete the medical assisting program, which takes most students about two years, they will enter a Norton “grow-your-own” medical office radiography program, which last two semesters. Norton pays tuition for the employees.

Appreciating the Opportunity
The timing of the partnership also was right for Carlton, 30. A previous position as a pharmacy tech sparked an interest in healthcare, and she was preparing to take a course in limited medical radiography. Pursuing a college degree, however, was financially unfeasible.

“This is something I had wanted to do, but I didn’t know how I would pay for it,” she said. “Then Norton offered me the opportunity to learn not only the LMR but also study medical assisting.”

Carlton is looking forward to her new career and eventually hopes to become a registered nurse for Norton.

Classmate April Vittitoe, 34, also appreciates the opportunity. Vittitoe, also an employee at Norton Healthcare Immediate Care Center, said she jumped at the chance to earn her associate degree.

Although Vittitoe already works as a medical assistant, having received training during her work in a physician’s office, she said the program has helped enhance her skills and a degree will help her earn promotions when she is ready. The mother of two also said earning the degree likely would not have been possible without the “grow-your-own” program.

“I love what I do,” she said. “Taking care of patients, connecting with the patients, helping them, it’s what I was meant to do.”
The program has multiple benefits for Norton, Bohn said. “Growing your own internal talent “builds employee engagement and a sense of loyalty.
“The leadership of Norton Healthcare takes to heart the importance of investing in our most valuable asset, those who provide care and service to our patients,” Bohn continued.

H2P Initiative
The grant initiative also is allowing Jefferson to enhance its healthcare curriculum.

O’Daniel said the college is developing a health career “core curriculum,” that includes strengthening student health career exploration, advising and support, and strengthening business partnerships “to improve our ability to forecast workforce needs.”

Development of a common healthcare core curriculum is expected to provide many advantages:
• Beginning health career students in classes together can foster a stronger foundation for the kind of interdisciplinary teamwork necessary for effective performance in the healthcare setting.
• A common core of skills and knowledge can help assure a shared foundation upon which specialized skills and knowledge can build, as well as greater appreciation for other members of the healthcare team.
• Interdisciplinary faculty can teach collaboratively and cross-functionally, thus modeling the interdisciplinary teamwork students need to learn.
• Students can be better prepared to make sound well-informed career choice decisions nearer their point of entry into the workforce.

“The core curriculum will allow us be more efficient and more effective,” O’Daniel said. “It also will help students prepare better for their careers.”

Advantages of healthcare core curriculum:
• Beginning health career students in classes together can foster a stronger foundation for the kind of interdisciplinary teamwork necessary for effective performance in the healthcare setting.
• A common core of skills and knowledge can help assure a shared foundation upon which specialized skills and knowledge can build, as well as greater appreciation for other members of the healthcare team.
• Interdisciplinary faculty can teach collaboratively and cross-functionally, thus modeling the interdisciplinary teamwork students need to learn.
• Students can be better prepared to make sound well-informed career choice decisions nearer their point of entry into the workforce.

Lisa Brosky is vice president, community relations at Jefferson Community & Technical College.