Summary of State of Minnesota’s Goals for the 2014 National Governor’s Association (NGA) Policy
Academy
Building a Transformed Healthcare Workforce: Moving from Planning to Implementation
Background: Through the policy academy, Minnesota hopes to: (1) lay the foundation for a long-term
infrastructure that enables the state to conduct more coordinated health workforce planning and
development, and (2) develop strategies to address current health workforce challenges.
Since the 1990s, Minnesota has periodically evaluated its health system and acted to improve health care
access, contain costs and improve quality. In recent years, health care workforce issues have become a more
explicit part of these efforts. Workforce initiatives and efforts have periodically brought together key
stakeholders such as legislators, state agencies, higher-education partners, third-party payers, and
professional associations, but stakeholders have tended to pursue goals independently. Overall, Minnesota
lacks a sustained, central, statewide workforce planning structure, and needs more consistent agency
coordination with stakeholders to meet health workforce requirements.
Timeline/Resources: Work on the policy academy started in May 2014. Minnesota’s final action plan and
implementation report is due October 2015 (18 months). Through this time period, NGA will provide timely
technical assistance on workforce-related issues. No funds were awarded for the policy academy.
Strategic Healthcare Workforce Goals: Project partners identified the following core area for action:
Workforce Coordination & Governance; Workforce Data; Workforce Pipeline Diversity; Workforce Supply &
Distribution; Workforce & Telehealth; Workforce Models/Interventions/ Initiatives.
Select strategic goals include:
•
Develop overall entity/infrastructure/framework for ongoing workforce data/policy coordination.
•
Support mental health workforce summit recommendations to represent diverse populations.
•
Increase educational opportunities for underserved minorities.
•
Create incentives for providers to meet geographical and service needs.
•
Explore pathways model for workforce development/transitions to move people from entry-level to
desired occupations.
•
Expand clinical coordination projects and services for allied health and nursing.
Core Team Members:
•
Dr. John Andrews, Board of Directors, Metro Minnesota Council on Graduate Medical Education
•
Dr. Barbara Brandt, Associate Vice President for Education, University of Minnesota Academic Health
Center
•
Dr. Glenace Edwall, Director of Adult and Children's Mental Health, Minnesota Department of Human
Services
•
Connie Ireland, Director of the Governor's Workforce Development Council
•
Lauren Gilchrist, Health Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Mark Dayton
•
Nitika Moibi, Policy Academy Administrative Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Health
•
Diane O'Connor, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Office of Higher Education
•
Mary Rothchild, Senior System Director for Workforce Development, Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities
•
Mark Schoenbaum, Director of Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Minnesota Health Workforce Development – Overview of Current Pipeline Efforts
Prepare
students in
math/science
& expose to
health careers
Current
Workforce
Strategies
K – 12 Career
& Technical
Education,
STEM, etc. (MN
Dept. of Ed)
Summer Health
Careers Intern
Program (MDH)
Scrubs camps –
MN St.
Colleges/
Universities
(MNSCU)
H1B and similar
workforce
development
(MN Dept. of
Employment
and Economic
Dev - DEED)
Provide
education and
clinical training
programs in
high-need
settings
Encourage
grads to
seek
employment
in high-need
settings
Foreigntrained
health
worker test
preparation
pilot
(DEED)
Clinical training
subsidy ($58
million) (MDH)
Greater MN Family
Medicine Grant
Program (MDH)
Minnesota
Health
Professional
Loan
Forgiveness
Program
(MDH)
FasTRAC
(DEED)
Clinical Dental
Education Grants
(MDH)
National
Health Service
Corps (MDH)
Rural Physician
Associate Program
(RPAP) (U of M)
Visa waivers
for foreign
medical grads
(“J1”) (MDH)
Recruit traditional &
non -traditional students
Summer
Health
Careers
Intern
Program
(MDH)
Future
Doctors
Program (U
of M)
U of M
Duluth Med
School
Campus –
rural focus
Center
of American
Indian &
Minority
Health (U of
M Duluth
Med School)
Nursing
facility
scholarship
program
(MN Dept.
of Human
Services –
DHS)
Direct
appropriations to
medical schools
and other health
professions
education programs
(MN Legislature)
Rural
Recruiting &
Retention
Network
(3RNet)
(MDH &
Rural Health
Resource
Center)
Redesign health
care system,
delivery &
health care jobs
Team care
approaches:
Health Care
Homes Program,
Medicaid ACO
demonstration
Emerging
professions
support (MDH,
licensing boards,
Medicaid)
Telehealth (rural
providers and
systems, DHS,
MDH)
State Innovation
Model (SIM)
grant (MDH/DHS)
Scope of Practice
changes (Health
Licensing Boards)
Retain the
health care
workforce
Community
retention
strategies
(AHEC – U of
M, MDH rural
health
programs)
Long-term care
wage issues
(DHS,
Legislature)
Safe Work
Environment/
Safe Patient
Handling (MN
Dept. of Labor
and Industry)
Telehealth
(rural providers
and systems,
DHS, MDH)