This project provides training for Medical Assistants employed at the Northeast Physicians Health Organization and Northeast Health Systems in skills that lead to the certification of physician practices as Patient Centered Medical Homes. This certification leads to enhanced patient care and satisfaction, along with cost growth containment as related to the Health Care Cost Containment Act.

The Working Cities Challenges is a special initiative to break down barriers between the City of Salem’s Point Neighborhood and the rest of City. The initiative responded to actions recommended in a Vision and Action Plan, developed to improve the quality of life for the Point’s primarily immigrant population. The initiative’s goal is to improve the Point’s unemployment rate, income levels and levels of civic participation.

Keys elements relating to workforce development included:

• Establishing an industry leaders roundtable to discuss how to formulate a pipeline of employment between Point residents and area major employers;
• Successfully running a Career Readiness and Microsoft Office program (with ESOL supports) catered to nineteen (19) native Spanish speakers living in the Point – fifteen (15) of the participants continued onto Occupational Skills

Training in the area of (Nurse Assistant, Phlebotomy and EKG) with clinical placements at Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, located in Salem.

The North Shore Healthcare Skills Partnership is a consortium of education providers, healthcare employers, and the Masshire North Shore WB to provide career pathways within the healthcare industry.

The Partnership will enroll participants within certificate based programs at North Shore Community College that will include certified Nurse Aide, surgical tech, certified medical assistant, gerontology activity specialist, and medical billing.

In addition, two new healthcare certificate programs will be implemented at North Shore Community College and will include a combined Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)/Medical Assistant certificate program an enhanced LPN course that provides a higher skilled nurse to local extended care facilities.

Many health care employers have adopted “grow your own” strategy, because incumbent workers are familiar with working in a health care environment and have developed significant patient care skills, and because the investment increases worker commitment to the organization.

A collaborative of health care industry and health education executives have created the concept of a new education model, the Health Care Learning Network (HCLN) to prepare for post-secondary education programs.

Using the latest in instructional and learning outcomes management technology, the HCLNTM will deliver college preparatory coursework to front-line health care workers as a strategy to address critical professional shortages within these facilities and to improve overall customer service.