Montana Healthcare Workforce Advisory Committee
Monday, November 9, 2015
1:00 to 3:00 PM
Helena Colonial Red Lion
Attendees:
Lara Salazar
Carol Bischoff
Crystal Bridges
Charie Faught
Tonette Hollingsworth
Renee Harris
Brandy Kincheloe
Casey Blumenthal
Greg Cano
Jean Branscum
Lisa Benzel
Linda Edquest
Amanda Harrow
Victoria Cech
Natascha Robinson
Amy Watson
Edith Clark
Anne Delaney
Brandon Dietrich
Mary Helgeson
Marge Levine
Christine Williams
Cindra Stahl
MEETING NOTES
Welcome and Introductions
HealthCARE Montana Update
Carol Bischoff—Rapid Response Teams
There have been four Rapid Response surveys so far:
1. PN to ASN
2. Computer skills, critical thinking, prep for nursing workforce, hybrid program, clinical
rotations
3. New professions
4. Rural setting
Significant information has come from these surveys and there is much data to review.
One “deep dive” cycle has been completed with the focus on clinical sites and soft skills.
Future areas for consideration (deep dive surveys) include:
1. LTC and EMS
2. Outpatient
3. Caring for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients
4. Behavioral health workers
Mary Nielsen and Neil Moisey—Curriculum Updates
Mary noted that the nursing curriculum committee has been aided by the employer input from
Rapid Response Teams. The teams had offered great input in unexpected areas, i.e. rural
specific nursing issues.
Reasons for proposed changes to Nursing curriculum:
1. Current education system was not providing LPNs to the state of Montana,
2. There was no process for rural/frontier clinicals, and
3. Current system takes 9-10 semesters to complete for BSN, while a generic BSN is 4 years.
Mary discussed the proposed changed for the PN curriculum, PN to ASN curriculum, and RN to
BSN changes. The changes will be presented to the Board of Regents in March 2016 and the
Board of Nursing in April 2016. Assuming approval, first cohort of students in PN and ASN
courses would be Fall 2016. RN to BSN could admit the first cohort in Spring 2019.
Neil discussed the Allied Health Core Curriculum. This committee is just beginning their work.
The core curriculum will look to support career ladders and lattices within allied healthcare
professions. Proposed curriculum will identify core competencies, develop a series of courses
and thread them throughout the existing curriculum. There are existing curriculum models to
review and use as examples. The committee does not want to add to number of credits.
Updates will follow as available.
(Presentation can be found online at the MT AHEC/ORH website,
http://healthinfo.montana.edu)
Community Health Workers
Interested parties met on October 22, 2015 to determine next steps in moving the community
health worker profession forward for Montana. It was agreed that development of an entry level
curriculum would be a prudent next step. Montana AHEC will review available curriculum and
determine the appropriate model. Interestingly, the Idaho State Office of Rural Health is completing the
same tasks with respect to CHWs, so we have a resource within the ORH offices. (notes from 10-222015 meeting are available on the MT AHEC/ORH website: http://healthinfo.montana.edu/)
Strategies for Workforce Plan (Version 2015)
The MHWAC discussed major workforce strategies by professions/sector that may already exist
among our members or other organizations. See attached listing. Committee membership also brought
other strategic areas to our attention. See attached listing. We plan to develop chapters by profession.
These chapters will be shared with the MHWAC for review, suggestions and edits.
Adjourn (next meeting to be held December 7, 2015, 1:00 pm, conference call only!)
Dr. Roman Hendrickson and Jean Branscum, from the Montana Medical Association, invite you to join
the discussion on Health Behavior Coaches, immediately following the MHWAC meeting, Gallery Room,
3:00 to 4:00 pm.