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Workforce Series Introduction
In rural Minnesota, health care worker shortages can mean longer drives and longer wait times for appointments. For some rural residents, this additional barrier means they will not receive needed care. With many areas already experiencing workforce strain--job vacancies are trending up and many current providers are preparing to retire—there is concern that workforce gaps could worsen in coming years (Minnesota Department of Health, 2022).
One strategy to address these gaps involves intervening early on—before our future healthcare workers have even completed high school. These “early exposure” initiatives engage K-12 students with the goal of providing opportunities for career exploration and making sure students have resources, mentorship, and support if they do choose to pursue a career in healthcare.
As interest in support efforts has grown, several critical access hospitals and health systems across the state have developed educational programs aimed at meeting this demand. This series will explore some of these programs and highlight work being done across Minnesota to build a sustainable future workforce.
The Essentia Health - Northern Pines
 Thirteen years ago, when a grant application for Minnesota’s Summer Health Care Internship Program came up, Laura Ackman, campus administrator at Essentia Health - Northern Pines in Aurora, applied for and received funding to hire two high school students as summer interns. Since then, the hospital has regularly received funding and hosted student interns.
After so many years, the process goes smoothly. Each summer, interns rotate through hospital departments and can further focus their time on personal interests. Students learn from hospital staff and have opportunities for hands-on experiences: they serve meal trays, engage with nursing home residents, assist with stocking, and work with maintenance staff on small projects. Additionally, they shadow physicians, nurses, therapists, and social workers across a variety of settings. These functions allow interns to be a part of the team while learning about the hospital environment and exploring career interests.
According to Ackman, students have very positive experiences and many past participants have gone on to pursue healthcare careers "The program is a great experience all around" she explains, "the staff enjoy working with students and students come in and grow over the summer, they lose their shyness."
Northern Pines’ participation in the Summer Health Care Internship Program fits within the hospital's broader engagement with Aurora youth. Ami Keene is the Workforce Development Coordinator at Northern Pines. She believes early exposure workforce strategies should go beyond a single program. Ensuring a sustainable future workforce involves building relationships and engaging with youth in the community many times over the course of years.
With long standing school district and community partnerships, Northern Pines engages and supports youth in many ways. For years, the hospital has sponsored a summer lunch program for K-12 students. The hospital cafeteria makes sack lunches and students are free to pick up the meals at the public library. Additionally, the hospital partners with the school district through the Mesabi East Environmental Education Center (ME3C). Students and educators bring produce, grown in the ME3C greenhouse, to the Essentia Health- Northern Pines Care Center. While on site, students build connections with older adults. The hospital has provided funding to expand the ME3C program and hopes to facilitate more intergenerational activities in the future.
Growing future workforce
These measures focus on relationships and community benefit—and they also fit into the hospital’s broader workforce development strategy. “Providing these in-person opportunities for student exposure to medical careers is vital for our future workforce” Keene explains, “(We) are planting a seed and watering it, and then (we are) seeing it come to life.”
According to Ackman, Northern Pines has had little trouble filling positions and retaining staff. This is likely the result of several factors; the hospital also offers a paid certified nursing assistant training course and has facilitated other clinical apprenticeship programs, which allow participants to gain experience and earn income while working towards credentials. Additionally, Keene credits the work environment, “There is a family built in here,” she says, “I think that has to do with retention—it's a place people want to work.”
Northern Pines’ record of community involvement may be another factor in sustaining a strong workforce. Through numerous programs, the hospital is connecting with youth and planting seeds. Some of the students benefiting from the summer lunch and greenhouse programs may go on to participate in the Summer Health Care Internship Program and ultimately decide to become healthcare professionals. Many students reached by these initiatives will grow in different directions, but with new understanding of rural health care. This approach provides important resources and opportunities for youth in the community and may help to build a sustainable future workforce in rural Minnesota.
References
Minnesota Department of Health. (2022, November). Rural Health Care in Minnesota: Data Highlights. Retrieved from Minnesota Department of Health: https://www.health.state.mn.us/facilities/ruralhealth/docs/summaries/ruralhealthcb2022.pdf
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