Healthcare Personnel Shortage Taskforce
Meeting Minutes - April 24, 2006

Attendees:

• Michele Johnson, Chair and Chancellor, Pierce College
• Bill Gray, Co-Chair, Washington State
• Lorelee Bauer, Group Health Cooperative
• Joan Garner, Washington State Nurses Association
• Pat Ward, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
• Kennethia Ishman, Association of Community and Migrant Health Workers
• Troy Hutson, Health Workforce Institute (affiliated with the Washington State Hospital Association)
• Kyra Kester, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Kathy McVay, Washington Rural Health Association
• Patti Rathbun, Department of Health
• Pam Lovinger, Department of Health
• Paula White, United Food and Commercial Workers Union
• Linda Tieman, Washington Center for Nursing
• Davis Patterson, Center for Health Workforce Studies
• Ellen O’Brien Saunders, Bryan Wilson, and Barbara Mix, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board

Michele Johnson started the meeting by thanking everyone for coming to Pierce College and introducing herself. Michele is the new chair of the task force. Michele then introduced Linda Tieman and Kathy McVay who are both new members of the task force. Linda has given presentations to the task force and is known by the members, but she is now an official member. The people in the room introduced themselves.

Legislative Session:
Bill Gray took a few minutes to go over the agenda before turning the meeting over to Bryan Wilson for the summary of the Legislative Session 2006. The bills that were passed that affect the Health Care Task Force include 2ESB 6193, which tasks the Workforce Board and Department of Health to collect data (via a survey) of all licensed health care personnel. The data will be collected every two years. The Legislature appropriated money to be used for enrollment in high-demand fields, not just health care though health care will get a portion of the money. The money was allocated to SBCTC, the HECB, UW, and WSU. Diversity issues in the health care field were addressed in 2SSB 6197, ESB 6194, and 2ESB 6193. The Legislature allocated $140,000 to implement a nursing faculty retention and recruitment program. The Governor vetoed this section of the budget, calling instead for a broad approach. For more detailed information on the Legislative Session, please see Tab 1 of the April 24 Health Care packet. Bill Gray reiterated that the survey and health care of professionals is a top priority of the Task Force. It was not originally in the Governor’s budget but due to active support of Representative Cody and Senator Franklin, along with support by various entities on the Task Force, it got included in the final budget. Bill asked for the Task Force’s input on whether a thank you letter from the Task Force should go to leaders in the House and Senate. Ellen O’Brien Saunders mentioned a letter had already gone out from the Workforce Board but she believes a letter from the Task Force is appropriate. Bill and Michele will send a letter to the Senate, House, and Governor.

Survey Update:
Pam Lovinger, Director, Policy, Evaluation, and Communication, Health Systems Quality Assurances from the Department of Health gave a brief overview of the survey project that is required under 2ESB 6193. Pam passed out a chart showing the professions that are licensed. Pam stressed that the survey is only being sent to licensed professionals, not people with certificates in health care (i.e., Certified Radiologic Technicians will not receive the survey). DOH and Workforce Board staff will meet in the afternoon of April 24 to start the discussion on how to implement the survey. The Workforce Board and DOH will be having meetings with stakeholders to discuss issues and concerns about the survey. A question about how the professionals will know the survey is coming and whether or not filling out/returning the survey is tied to their license renewal was asked. Pam stated that the survey is not tied to license renewal DOH is working with various associations (i.e., the Nursing Association) to get word out that all data is confidential (no names will be tied to the report), what the data will be used for, and how often this survey will be sent out. It was suggested that an FAQ be posted on both DOH and the Workforce Board’s web sites regarding the survey, what the data will be used for, and who will be asked to fill out/return the survey. Pam asked the Task Force members if she could contact them for names of stakeholders for the meetings and received permission. (Barbara sent Pam the names/addresses/e-mail addresses of the Task Force members.)

What's Happening at WCN:
Linda Tieman gave a presentation on what’s happening at the Washington Center for Nursing (WCN). The WCN is approaching it’s second year of existence. Highlights from Linda’s presentation – WCN is working on a Strategic Business Plan. Desautel Hege Communications, a Public Relations company in Spokane, is working with WCN on the Plan. WCN is completing a contract with UW Center for Health Workforce Studies to complete the “WA RN Supply and Demand Through 2025” study. WCN is addressing the diversity issue on their own board and continuing to refine board selection and orientation processes. WCN had a successful “Promise of Nursing for WA” gala on March 29. Johnson and Johnson paid all the costs for this fund raiser, allowing all the money that was raised to be put into scholarships for Washington nursing students in the nursing field.

Task Force Member Updates:
Kyra reported that OSPI is working on recruitment issues in K-12. One of the things OSPI is doing is working with Bellevue Community College on doing career planning for younger students. An issue is getting industry information to students in order for students to do the career planning. Students need to have a chance to work in a simulated or real environment to see if this is really the profession they wish to go into.

It was mentioned that finding clinical sites for students is very challenging. Linda’s group is working on a plan to determine where the clinicals are and where more can be placed.

Troy Hutson gave an update on the Health Workforce Institute Annual Report for 2005.

The group split into subgroups to discuss the following issues and report back to the group as a whole:

• Recruitment and preparation of youth for health careers
• Education program expansion: Faculty Availability, clinical sites
• Core curricula and articulation
• Support of health skill panels

The subgroups reported out the following issues and ideas:
K-12 Youth

• Portability of curriculum
• Resistance from educators and industry
• Accreditation issues

       We need to move above the territorial

• Impose a LEAN process
• Earlier exposure to more “general education” with ability to then specialize. Also exposure to clinical reality to determine if it’s the “right fit” (job shadowing)
• Need “multilayer” partnership about BPR to drive core curriculum. Raise issues and layout for 2020 environment
• 50,000 foot level – what do we want health care to look like and the move toward process

Skill Panels

• Make sure industry representatives know what the skill panels are accomplishing in their areas (anecdotes)
• Make sure industry representatives know who/what skill panels are
• Make sure industry representatives are properly ID’d
• ID grassroots leadership
• ID legislative champions
• Relevance to the representatives outcome oriented
• Expand distance learning

Educational Expansion

• Clinical coordination work in other states and in Pierce County
• CNEWS Master Plan for Nursing Education in Washington. OR work to revamp nursing education
• Simulation technology implementation and expansion
• NCQAC’s look at LPN education experiences, other sites
• Faculty salary issues
• Joint staff-faculty appointments
• High demand FTE funding
• Need for more PTA, OTA programs? Exposure for students
• Is there need for another pharmacy program?
• Look at current requirements for clinical experience
• Pediatrics, OB-GYN, and mental health settings for clinical learning

Existing Programs
AHEC/Project HOPE/WAHOTT/Hospital Camps/UNN Programs/Core math/science (MESA)/Industry partnerships (information, experiences) – Navigation 101

Ideas:  More information in more formats for younger students, for parents; sustaining experiences – continuum from recruitment to employment. Relevancy!

Barriers
Clinical access limitations
Certification (education) in high school classes

Other news:
Ellen O’Brien Saunders announced that Jamie Krause, a member of the Systems Partnership Team for the Workforce Board, will be taking on the duty of staffing the Health Care Personnel Shortage Task Force during Madeleine’s maternity leave. Madeleine is taking six months leave.

What’s Next?
Task Force members would like to have a representative from Virginia Mason speak to the group and discuss how they apply “lean” processes to prepare the work place. Members would also like to get a representative from Oregon to discuss what is happening in their state.