Baltimore, Md. - Three years ago, the Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare was a little-known player in the city's efforts to ready its workforce for an ever-increasing demand for trained health care professionals. Today, with several successful programs under its belt in Baltimore and a growing national reputation among health care intermediaries, BACH is about to broaden its reach in Maryland through three new projects designed to bolster the number of frontline health professionals and diversify registered nursing staffs throughout the Baltimore region.

"Two of the three programs' Licensure for Foreign-Trained Health Professionals and Maturity Works are collaborations with Montgomery and Baltimore counties," says Ronald Hearn, BACH's executive director. "For the first time, these new relationships will allow us to address specific workforce shortages and diversity issues among hospitals and other health organizations beyond the city of Baltimore," he explained. The third project calls for occupational training of frontline health care workers in Baltimore, made possible through the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and a $63,000 U.S. Department of Labor stimulus grant.

Re-credentialing Foreign-Trained Nurses

Working with the Maryland Hospital Association and the Latino Health Initiative of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, BACH will provide classes and career coaching for nurses previously trained outside the U.S. who wish to re-enter the profession and become licensed in the State of Maryland. The Licensure of Foreign-Trained Health Professionals initiative, which originated in Montgomery County as a pilot program to increase the number of qualified, Spanish-speaking health care workers, is designed to bring much-needed diversity to Maryland's health care system. MHA and Montgomery County officials are relying on BACH's unique experience and network of hospitals, educational institutions and government agencies to extend the reach of that successful model throughout the Baltimore metro area.

The project is not specifically geared toward Hispanics, but builds on existing credentials and training of immigrants of all nationalities and provides economic opportunities to underutilized workers. Funded through MHA by a federal workforce grant, the program will run through June 2011. BACH and MHA will begin recruiting 10 to 12 participants next month, according to Jeanne DeCosmo, MHAís director of Workforce Activities. "We expect to complete the recruitment process in February and start the program sometime in March," she said.

According to Hearn, three central components are key to the program's success case management or career coaches, as BACH calls them, who provide one-on-one guidance and support to students, alliances with local hospitals, and an academic piece that includes classes for individuals whose native language is not English and a nurse refresher course specially designed to transition professionals who have already earned nursing credentials.

"Language is the biggest barrier for most of these individuals, not their technical skills," explains DeCosmo. Hearn agrees, but emphasized that understanding cultural nuances of the U.S. health care system [communicating with patients, for example, their families and other health care professionals] is critically important to a successful transition.

Program coordinator Cathy Wolf said that BACH will partner with three soon-to-be-named local hospitals that will serve as clinical training sites. BACH has also collaborated with Baltimore City Community College and Baltimore County Community College to offer the course work, including English as a Second Language classes. Each participating hospital will provide nursing professionals to serve as career coaches for students enrolled in the program.

Depending upon the student's level of knowledge and skills, DeCosmo estimates that it will take up to 18 months for a student to complete the program and prepare for the state licensure exam. Student progress will be monitored by an electronic tracking system adapted by BACH called Efforts to Outcome.

Engaging Mature Workers in Baltimore County

Maturity Works, a program aimed at broadening participation of mature workers in high-growth, high-demand health care careers in the Baltimore area, marks BACH's expansion into Baltimore County. In cooperation with the county's Department of Workforce Development and as part of a $1 million U.S. Department of Labor grant, BACH will extend its training and signature career coaching program to the region with the goal of improving retention and advancement of mature, frontline workers into skilled health care jobs.

Baltimore County Executive James Smith noted in a recent statement that the grant targets persons 55 years old and older, particularly incumbent, unemployed and displaced workers. Training opportunities will be offered for sterile processing technicians, surgical technicians, nurse assistants and nurse extenders.

"Mature employees have historical and institutional knowledge that's difficult to replace, making it all the more important to retain these individuals by helping them attain and maintain rewarding careers," Hearn added.

While BACH expands its work with organizations beyond the city limits, it continues to help close the gap of Baltimore's health worker shortage. BACH was recently tapped by the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, as part of a federal stimulus grant, to implement its StepUp initiative at three local health care facilities.

New Skills for Incumbent Workers

StepUp offers skills training in addition to a prerequisite course in medical terminology that will bring all participants one step closer to the next rung on the career ladder. Incumbent workers at Genesis Healthcare and Sinai Hospital will be targeted for training. Qualified city residents, identified by MOED's One-Stop Career Center Network, will be recruited for customized training to fill open medical practice representative positions at University Physicians, Inc.

Classes will be held both on-site and at the Community College of Baltimore County and will focus on medical terminology and records and front office skills. Students will be employed by the sponsoring health care provider and receive an hourly stipend while in the program. The program is scheduled to begin in March.