Growing our workforce

 

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, government agencies and other organizations predicted future shortages of doctors, nurses and other health care workers as supply did not keep up with demand. The difficult conditions of the pandemic have taken a toll on those working the front lines of patient care, and as a result many have chosen to retire or leave the health care profession entirely, accelerating those shortages. 

In 2022, MultiCare launched several initiatives to ensure we can continue serving our communities and support our dedicated team members. One of those initiatives is a workforce development program, which creates opportunities for those who would like to work in health care but face financial barriers to starting a career in the industry; for example, they may not be able to afford the required training or take time off work to attend school.

Our workforce development program eliminates these barriers by providing tuition assistance and hiring participants as employees while they attend training. After completing their education, graduates are placed in jobs across MultiCare. So far, workforce development has focused on cultivating talent to fill five critical roles across the system: medical assistants, certified nursing assistants, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians and nurse technicians.

In addition to creating new career opportunities for community residents, MultiCare’s workforce development program has also benefited current employees who are interested in changing or advancing their careers. Thus far, MultiCare’s workforce development program has yielded 288 new hires across the Puget Sound and Inland Northwest regions. 

MultiCare also streamlined its hiring processes for several difficult-to-fill positions and is developing innovative approaches to staffing and staff support that the organization expects to roll out in 2023.