The Trustee Quarterly Newsletter for Winter 2024 is now available with the focus on healthcare needs of communities. Hospital and health system boards are responsible for staying true to the organizationās community-centered mission even in the face of an ever-changing environment. This begs the question; do you know what the most prominent healthcare needs are in your community? Meeting the community needs begins with understanding local challenges and putting together local challenges and putting together an action plan to address them.
In the Winter 2024 edition of the Trustee Quarterly Newsletter, readers will find suggested guidelines to help focus on your communityās healthcare needs. To successfully begin, organizations and boards of trustees should consider gathering clear answers to questions such as:
- How dependent is our organizationās success on the direction these issues take?
- If the hospitalās mission is to improve the communityās health, what is the health status of the community?
- Does our board have the evidence and information it needs to make data-driven strategic decisions about community needs?
Community needs assessments help trustees answer these questions, in addition they provide hospitals and health systems with unique opportunities to connect with the community, maximize partnerships, and develop opportunities for building public trust and confidence.
The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) provides āOur Perspectiveā focusing on the need for workforce solutions for our members and the communities they serve.
In the Spring of 2023, SDAHO was awarded the Rural Network Development Grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which is an agencyĀ of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Lindsay Stroman wasĀ hired in October of 2023 as the Workforce Development Coordinator for theĀ association andĀ manages the program and grant.
The mission of the project is to create a network of healthcare organizations andĀ community partners called the South Dakota Rural Workforce Network (SDRWN)Ā focusing on workforce recruitment and retention. The network is developing an all-inclusive pipeline of healthcare essential workers, such as dietary, environmentalĀ services, nursing assistants, home health aides and more.
The project is targeting rural ethnic and racial minorities, refugees, second career adults and high school students to fill the healthcare essential roles. The impact will include a stable pipeline of essential healthcare workers to serve the rural healthcare facilities throughout rural South Dakota.
Thus far Stroman has visited several Network members, where the meetings included conversations on recruitment and retention strategies, in addition to new ideas such as an after-school program for grades 3-12. āThe idea of an after-school program is so that students can explore healthcare careers with hands-on activities. The goal is to provide opportunities where students are exposed to healthcare careers at a young age, with hopes they will be interested in joining the healthcare workforce starting in their high school years,ā according to Stroman.
In November of 2023 Stroman visited with the following Network members:
- Mobridge, SD ā Critical Access Hospital
- Hot Springs, SD ā Critical Access Hospital
- University of South Dakota: Network Partner
- Lutheran Social Services: Network Partner
- Mitchell Technical Institute: Network Partner
Stroman says as meetings continue, we discussion will also include potentially developing internships, apprenticeships, career exploring classes nd student support services for refugee and minority students.
To learn more about SDAHOās Workforce Development Program, visit Lindsay Stroman, Workforce Development Coordinator with SDAHO: Lindsay.Stroman@sdaho.org
