“The program has worked to fill multiple entry-level positions. We’ve been able to really make a dent in some of those needed areas because of the entirety of what INTEGRIS and Francis Tuttle have done together.” – Sandy Hill, Manager of the Office of Nursing Support for INTEGRIS
Few times has a spotlight shone brighter on Oklahoma’s ability to prepare a ready workforce than in 2020.
With the pandemic complicating everything from the movement of goods to the movement of people, INTEGRIS Health needed to prepare bedside caregivers quickly and effectively. The health system worked with local technology centers to ensure new patient care tech hires received Nurse Aide (CNA) training and certification.
Francis Tuttle Technology Center was one who partnered with INTEGRIS Health on this initiative, and the two organizations have continued this collaboration in the years since.
Through Francis Tuttle’s Flexible Health Training Program, which was established in 2013, students can complete a wide range of certification classes, including CNA, Medical Assisting (MA), Certified Medication Aide (CMA), Phlebotomy Technician, EKG Monitor Technician, and more.
Flex Health was successful for INTEGRIS Health CNAs, and its Medical Group – which includes doctor’s offices and clinics – decided to replicate it to meet their needs for medical assistants. Starting last year, patient access employees who were already working at the front desks of INTEGRIS locations can attend training to transition into an MA role after they earn their certification.
“We were trying to break down any barriers for people who were interested in healthcare but couldn’t attend training or change professions,” explained Sandy Hill, the Manager of the Office of Nursing Support for INTEGRIS Health.
Hill added those barriers are often that people need full-time work and their insurance, so they are unable to stop working to attend school. That’s why INTEGRIS Health decided to not only pay for the employees’ schooling but also pay their salaries during the time they are in class learning in exchange for a work commitment.
Francis Tuttle’s Flexible Healthcare Training is offered year-round on the Rockwell Campus, and students can enroll at any time during the year. Training is self-paced, making it work well for adults who need flexibility in their learning.
“INTEGRIS Health has been great to work with,” said Stormie Roberson, Health Program Developer for Francis Tuttle. “It’s been rewarding to partner with them to meet those industry needs and make the transition seamless for their employees. That’s the great thing about the flex classrooms is the resources are always going to be necessary to fill that pipeline for these important positions. They’re the support that helps make everything run efficiently in hospitals, medical clinics, and long-term care facilities. It’s great to be a part of that.”
Hill said she frequently hears positive feedback from employees who said they gained the right knowledge and skills to come prepared for the workplace. One aspect that has been especially beneficial for students is the fact they spend days in the classroom as well as days on their unit or in the clinic practicing what they have learned alongside an experienced practitioner. This allows them to start completing necessary orientation while training, equipping them to more quickly enter their new roles when the time comes.
“It helps the individual because they’re given full-time work and a meaningful place they want to learn and grow,” Hill shared. “It benefits the hiring managers because they feel confident that the people come out trained well and ready to do the job. Then it helps INTEGRIS Health as a whole with the pipeline of entry-level positions. We absolutely have to have these positions to provide the kind of care that we want to our patients in the community.”
The program is continuing to expand, and INTEGRIS Health is establishing an on-site satellite classroom at the INTEGRIS Health Southwest Medical Center this fall to host up to 10 students at once.
Hill said INTEGRIS Health hopes to see longevity for the program and employees following career pathways with the organization’s support. In the future, INTEGRIS Health envisions helping to send employees who previously completed the CNA or MA training to nursing school or respiratory therapy school, for example.
“It’s been a very collaborative, cooperative, community-minded partnership with Francis Tuttle that we really have appreciated and look forward to continuing to expand,” Hill said. “So far the program has really helped in our pipeline and development of the entry-level workforce.”
Flexible Healthcare Information Session
To learn more about Francis Tuttle’s Flexible Healthcare Training, attend the upcoming information session on from 10-11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 in Room A1204 of the Campus Center Building on the Rockwell Campus. You can also visit www.francistuttle.edu/flexhealth for more information about the certification classes.