Priority 1: Career Pathways

Build healthcare career pathways to develop skills that matter for jobs that pay

Prepare Rhode Islanders From Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds For Good Jobs And Careers In Healthcare Through Expanded Career Awareness, Job Training And Education, And Advancement Opportunities

STRATEGY 1: Support the entry-level workforce

Improve recruitment, retention, and career advancement of entry-level workers

• Address issues of compensation, work load, and/or job satisfaction to improve recruitment and retention of entry-level workers
• Establish core competencies for all unlicensed, entry-level occupations
• Develop advanced certifications in specialties such as behavioral health, gerontology, and chronic diseases to increase the knowledge, skills, compensation, and career advancement opportunities of entry-level occupations
• Reduce financial and logistical barriers associated with pre-employment requirements (e.g., criminal background checks, physical exams, and vaccinations)
• Revise Certified Nursing Assistant regulations to update scope of practice, training, and testing requirements to reflect varied and emerging roles
• Consider licensure or certification for unlicensed occupations such as Community Health Workers, medical assistants, case managers, peer recovery specialists, and dental assistantsAlign publicly funded job training programs with health system transformation priorities

STRATEGY 2: Increase diversity and cultural competence

Increase the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of licensed health professionals

• Create more diverse talent pipelines by providing healthcare career awareness, academic advising, mentoring, financial assistance, and supportive services for youth and adults in targeted populations
• Build career ladders for individuals now working in entry-level health support occupations, such as nursing assistants or medical assistants
• Develop pre-apprenticeships to address gaps in foundational and employability skills to diversify the ranks of apprentices, increasing access for racial, ethnic, and linguistic minorities
• Offer training and testing for CNAs and other entry-level occupations in languages other than English
• Utilize the Rhode Island Department of Health licensure process to analyze the ethnic and linguistic diversity of health professionals

STRATEGY 3: Develop youth initiatives

Increase healthcare career awareness, experiential learning opportunities, and readiness for health professional education

• Build broader, more diverse talent pipelines by developing healthcare career awareness programs and training in middle and high schools
• Identify resources and healthcare employer partners to increase paid internships and work experiences for youth
• Develop career and technical education programs that prepare students for emerging, in-demand healthcare jobs and careers

STRATEGY 4:  Address provider shortages

Remediate shortages among selected health professions

• Determine the nature of shortages (e.g., statewide, regional, by payer) and causes of shortages (e.g., compensation, workload, job satisfaction)
• Enhance loan forgiveness, tax credits, and/or other financial incentives to improve recruitment and retention of providers
• Maximize federal assistance for federally designated provider shortage and/or underserved areas
• Expand appropriate use of telemedicine (e.g., monitoring, diagnosis, treatment, consults, and referrals)
• Cross-train clinical psychologists as psychiatric advanced practice RNs in order to increase patient access to prescribers
• Consider establishing a licensure category, educational program, and payment structure for advanced dental hygienist practitioners to augment the dentist workforce and expand access to underserved Rhode Islanders
• Utilize the licensure process to collect the Nursing Workforce Minimum Data Set needed to more accurately assess the supply of RNs