Access to healthcare is a critical issue in DNATL, and like many rural areas is impacted by the lack of a qualified workforce. Initially the community’s focus was on recruitment and retention of healthcare staff which proved to be unsustainable and led to high staff turnover and low patient satisfaction. The Health Career Pathways Initiative shifted their focus to a grow-your-own medical workforce. Grow-your-own campaigns can help address the shortage of healthcare workers by encouraging youth to consider healthcare careers, cultivating their interest, and helping them develop professional skills that they can utilize in their communities. This approach is based on the idea that health professionals are more likely to stay and work in the community they were raised in.
Tangible Wins and Benefits:
- Del Norte Unified School District funded a health career teacher at Del Norte High School, an essential position in the Health Career Pathway development.
- Del Norte High School added a Science Based Health Pathway to their curriculum that included Medical Biology and Medical Chemistry, with plans to add Anatomy and Physiology to complete the pathway.
- College of the Redwoods, in partnership with Sutter Coast Hospital brought the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) to Registered Nurse (RN) bridge program back together after a 10-year absence of the program.