Health Work Force Institute programs honored with Workforce and Economic Development Best Practice awards

OLYMPIA -  Two Health Work Force Institute programs are winners of the 2009 Workforce and Economic Development Best Practice awards. The award was given to five programs and recognizes models of success in creating jobs, building a skilled workforce and enhancing the economy in communities around the state.

"These five exceptional projects demonstrate the diversity, innovation and partnerships that are contributing to a new, stronger Washington," Gov. Christine Gregoire said. "Each partnership is helping our state build a globally competitive economy, and a better future for working families."

The Health Work Force Institute played an instrumental role in the creation and implementation two of this year’s winners:

Health Careers for Youth (Seattle) This program creates a career and education pathway for low-income youth who might otherwise overlook promising careers in health care. Health Careers for Youth provides high school students with career exploration, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training, prerequisite coursework in nursing and allied health occupations, and work-based learning. Forty students have completed the program, with 90 percent completing CNA training and 60 percent earning an industry credential by passing the national CNA certification exam.

Rural Outreach Nursing Education (RONE) project of Lower Columbia College (Longview) The RONE project provides nursing education to areas of Washington that have limited access, helping address  a critical skill shortage through classes delivered over the web. By recruiting within their community and providing the training on-site, rural communities can now grow their own nursing staffs. Rural hospitals, clinics and other outpatient facilities provide hands-on clinical experience as part of this two-year associate degree registered nurse program.

The 2009 Workforce and Economic Development Conference and Best Practices Awards are organized by the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and the Department of Commerce. The awards will be presented at the Workforce and Economic Development Conference in Spokane, Oct. 27-29.

The Health Work Force Institute is an affiliate program of the Washington State Hospital Association. The Institute is chartered to look past economic, educational, and regulatory boundaries to develop, test, and launch the most promising catalysts to increase the supply of skilled health care workers.  HWFI's strategies focus on increasing capacity of the state's colleges and universities to train people, especially those from diverse backgrounds, to enter a health profession. Improving our health care system, increasing its diversity, and bolstering our economy - this is the work of the Health Work Force Institute.

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