Investing in Talent, Strengthening NJ’s Health Care Workforce

A hallmark of the New Jersey Nursing Initiative's (NJNI's) work is bringing together partners from vastly different organizations and industries to work together to analyze challenges and brainstorm solutions. On November 19, NJNI convened a meeting of New Jersey-based philanthropic organizations to discuss innovative ways to address the states nurse and nurse faculty workforce shortages. The meeting, co-sponsored by the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, brought new voices to the table, and was a first step in building collaborations in other areas.

 

According to Poonam Alaigh, M.D., M.S.H.C.P.M., F.A.C.P., commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services who briefed participants at the meeting, the state’s health care workforce shortage is real and poses dangers to our residents. She said more should be done to avert a crisis. “I hadn’t realized how much of a void we have when it comes to educating more nurses. This is critical,” Alaigh said.

 

The nursing community needs to be part of the solution, Commissioner Alaigh said. She said her Department is looking at ways to invest in talent and build a stronger, more diverse health care workforce, and that recruiting and retaining nurses and nurse faculty is a key part of that effort.

 

Increasing training in health information technology, simplifying graduate medical education funding and enhancing loan redemption programs are some of the ways the state is working to address the looming health care workforce shortage. Alaigh encouraged funders to look at ways to work collaboratively to enhance the work taking place at the state level. She also noted the creation of a state initiative to seek out innovative solutions and replicate them elsewhere.

 

The new statewide Health Care Workforce Council is expected to play a significant role in meeting the state’s future health care needs. It is chaired by Robert Wise, president and chief executive officer of Hunterdon Healthcare, and member of NJNI’s Leadership Council. The Health Care Workforce Council was created under the direction of Governor Chris Christie, and is part of the New Jersey State Employment Training Commission.

 

“Before we pull the trigger on solutions, we really need to organize,” Wise said. “The Health Care Workforce Council intends to bring disparate groups together so all ideas can be discussed. Getting questions on the table is the first step, looking at solutions is the next step. We are looking for the ideas that are worth funding and replicating.”

 

The Council will work to identify priorities and solutions for the state. It is unique because the coalition that won the grant for the Council was comprised of non-traditional partners, including unions, higher education representatives, health care organizations and more. Wise invited those at the meeting to join the new initiative.

 

In keeping with the theme of collaboration, Joan Hollendonner of the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey shared her experience applying for and being granted a highly competitive Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN) grant this fall. PIN is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Northwest Health Foundation. The $245,000 grant awarded to the Horizon Foundation is being matched by local philanthropic organizations, and it will help improve the skills of graduate nurses seeking their master’s degrees in New Jersey.  

 

According to Hollendonner, the grant is especially noteworthy because it brought together a diverse group of foundations. She shared the process used to secure participation from diverse groups, noting that in the end “the funders all love the collaboration and the people involved in the project.”

 

Participants discussed other dynamic ways that collaborations are making a difference across the state and the country. Susan Bakewell-Sachs, Ph.D., R.N., P.N.P.-B.C., program director for NJNI, spoke of the urgent need to “Jersify” creative initiatives that are taking place elsewhere in the country.

 

Bakewell-Sachs challenged participants to reflect on ways to include non-traditional partners in future work to support the state’s health care workforce. “How can we bring all of these ideas to bear in a state that is just now learning to collaborate?,” she asked, pledging to ensure that continuing to build and strengthen collaborations will remain one of the highest priorities for NJNI.

 

For more information on how to get involved, contact NJNI Deputy Director Lynn Mertz at Lynn.Mertz@njchamber.com.