Building Stronger Healthcare Workforce Pathways Through Community Partnerships with Dan LaVallee & Dr. Brandy Hershberger
Becker’s Healthcare PodcastSummary
UPMC leaders Dan LaValle and Dr. Brandy Hershberger highlight the organization's significant strides in workforce development and community engagement. LaValle, who oversees community engagement at UPMC Health Plan, reports that the Pathways to Work program has successfully hired over 11,000 individuals from the Medicaid plan into various roles within UPMC. This initiative, launched in partnership with the State Department of Human Services, aims to assist Medicaid members in finding meaningful employment, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
Dr. Hershberger, UPMC's Chief Nursing Officer, discusses the introduction of innovative healthcare apprenticeships, including programs for registered nurses, surgical technicians, and pharmacy technicians. These apprenticeships provide individuals with on-the-job training and academic support, enabling them to pursue careers in healthcare that they may not have previously considered. Both leaders emphasize the importance of collaboration with local educational institutions and workforce investment boards to create sustainable workforce solutions that can be replicated across the country.
As UPMC continues to expand its workforce development initiatives, both LaValle and Dr. Hershberger express optimism about the potential for these programs to serve as national models for addressing workforce challenges in healthcare. They encourage other organizations to explore similar partnerships and apprenticeship opportunities to strengthen local workforce pipelines.
Show Notes
In this episode, Dan LaVallee, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement at UPMC Health Plan, and Dr. Brandy Hershberger, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Academic Affairs at UPMC, discuss how innovative apprenticeship programs, workforce partnerships, and community engagement are creating sustainable healthcare career pathways and strengthening the future workforce.
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