Page 27 - Modern Healthcare (January 2020)

sistants, though that program has expired.
Ascension Southeast Michigan, Cleveland Clinic and
But long-term care providers aren’t waiting for the gov-
Catholic Health in Buffalo, N.Y., have launched compre-
ernment. Loretto has launched a car-buying and credit
hensive programs to increase retention of CNAs and home
program, a free diaper bank, a free clinic, a fund to help in
financial emergencies and a prenatal-care program.
health workers through a $15 million, three-year grant
In addition, it offers peer mentors to help the employ-
from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
Starting last June, they assigned workforce coaches to
ees, mostly women of color who come from low-income
give these direct care workers individual support with
backgrounds, acclimate to their new roles. A life coach is as-
challenges both on the job and in their personal lives.
signed to those who are particularly struggling, to connect
Ascension has aimed the program at 174 in-hospital
them with resources such as counseling for domestic abuse.
nurse’s aides in its seven hospitals,
Loretto also subsidizes employees
who want to go to school to qualify
though it may expand that to care-
for a better-paying job such as li-
givers in its long-term care facili-
ties. The coach will work with each
censed practical nurse, which pays
50% more than a CNA. Townsend Coaching assistance
caregiver for a year on personal and
said her organization over three years professional conduct, communica-
has hired more than 450 employees tion skills, financial literacy, conflict
under the program, with an 80% re- and stress management, and issues
tention rate, which she considers a like transportation and child care.
notable success. The workers initially came to-
Other providers, including hospital gether for a four-day curriculum,
systems, are following similar play- followed by six group sessions
books. The leaders of Providence, throughout the year.
which operates skilled-nursing fa- Before the program, first-year
cilities, assisted-living programs and turnover for nurse’s aides was more
home care in seven states, have fo- than 30%. Since the program’s start,
cused intensely on retaining direct that’s fallen to 7.4%, said Maureen
care workers by improving their on- Chadwick, chief nursing officer for
the-job experience. Ascension’s Michigan market. Be-
Large hospital systems are better Marie Tobin, a resident yond that, 20 of the aides have en-
able to offer higher pay, benefits, at the Morrow Home rolled in nursing school.
training and career advancement than smaller, indepen- Community nursing and “It gives me chills,” she said. “We
assisted-living facility, with
dent long-term care providers, and generally have some- two of her certified nursing are making a difference in folks’
what lower turnover. assistants, Jess Marten, lives. And seeing turnover plum-
Tim Cash, Providence’s chief human resources officer left, and Hailey Schueller, met is powerful. Retention is what
for the home and community care division, said his or- right, and Morrow CEO will drive improved outcomes and
Dan Meyer.
ganization is facing a labor crunch partly because many patient experience.”
younger people apply for direct care jobs without having While there’s a lot of work ahead
a clear, well-informed commitment to that line of work. to improve compensation, support
As part of its stepped-up hiring and retention effort, Prov- and working conditions to expand the long-term care
idence is recruiting direct care workers from colleges and workforce, there’s no substitute for finding the right peo-
high schools, and paying for their training as CNAs. Later, ple. And it’s not a job that can be automated.
when they have more experience, Providence covers costs “We can teach technical skills,” Loretto’s Townsend said.
for higher-level training for those who want to become li- “But we always focus on people who have the desire to be
censed professionals like registered nurses. compassionate and meet the needs of others.”
Providence’s HR staffers make sure they frankly explain Jess Marten, a CNA at Morrow Home Community, a
to the recruits the nature of the job and check in with the nursing home and assisting-living provider in Sparta,
new hires at 30 and 90 days. Supervisors are trained to Wis., said taking care of the residents, many of whom have
work closely with the direct care workers to improve their dementia, is a hard, stressful job. The 37-year-old mother
performance and help them with personal issues. of two teenagers, who earns about $15 an hour after a de-
Another lure is that Providence pays close to $15 an hour cade of experience, says caregivers should be paid more
in some markets, and more than that in other areas. for this work.
Cash said his system’s efforts have improved first-year re- “To have the residents hug me halfway through the bath,
tention for direct care workers by 11.7 percentage points in all wet, and say thank you so much, you are very good at
the last two years, with an overall retention rate of 81% for that, it’s rewarding,” she said. “You laugh and joke and cry
those workers. “Staffing is the hardest challenge,” he said. and sing with them. Some days they break your heart.
“Every one of these things has to be maintained and recy- “People just call you a butt-wiper, but there’s so much
cled every year.” they don’t know. I’m definitely much more than that.” l
January 27, 2020 | Modern Healthcare 25