Careers in Care | NEPA Health Care Foundation

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NEPA Health Care Foundation board members at the launch of Careers in Care, from left to right: Robert Knowles, Board Vice-Chair; Jeremiah Eagen, M.D.; Donna Martucci; Michele McGowan; James Clemente, Board Chair; Honorable Terrence Nealon; and Laura Ducceshi, President & CEO of Scranton Area Community Foundation and Administrator of the NEPA Health Care Foundation.

NEPA Health Care Foundation Announces Careers in Care Initiative

During a healthcare workforce strain in Northeastern PA, NEPA Health Care Foundation launches Careers in Care. This program invests $1.5M over three years to boost regional healthcare, especially nursing, with grants and scholarships. It aids Lackawanna College, UNCN, Johnson College, and Greater Hazleton Partners in Education to address skills shortages. A $700,000 nursing scholarship program will be created via the Scranton Area Community Foundation. This initiative, based on a regional listening tour, targets a substantial local impact.

As the NEPA Health Care Foundation celebrates its tenth anniversary of providing funding for healthcare needs in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming County, they have prioritized Careers in Care in order to make a focused impact on the Healthcare Workforce in NEPA over the next three years. The Foundation is hopeful that Careers in Care will positively impact current and future care delivery in NEPA.

A Three-Year Strategy to Address Healthcare Workforce Needs in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Careers in Care is a $1.5 million, three-year strategic initiative (2020-2023) aimed at supporting and expanding the healthcare workforce in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties.

Why Careers in Care?

In 2018, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation and Scranton Area Community Foundation prioritized healthcare workforce after forums and regional tours that showed high nurse demand, stressing the need for supporting nursing and pipeline programs for regional healthcare growth.

How will it work?

The NEPA Health Care Foundation pledges $1.5 million to Careers in Care from 2020-2023, in addition to $1.2 million for the Foundation Scholars program at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM). The funds will support healthcare workforce pipeline and nursing.

What will be funded?

Careers in Care's Grants Program supports the healthcare workforce pipeline and nursing profession. NEPA Health Care Foundation seeks Letters of Intent for Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties programs. Eligible 501c3 entities can apply.

Grants to Support the Healthcare Workforce Pipeline

The regional healthcare workforce relies on a strong pipeline of potential employees. Many providers report that a key reason for the workforce shortage is a lack of early awareness about healthcare careers, especially among low-to-middle-income students, students from diverse backgrounds, and those in rural areas.

Educational institutions and employers note barriers to enrollment in health professions programs, leading to staffing shortages. They stress the need to engage local students as early as middle school. Colleges and universities identify significant barriers to entry, such as deficiencies in STEM, math, communication, ESL, and resiliency skills.

Potential partners to address these issues include colleges, universities, medical schools, K-12 schools, libraries, professional organizations, healthcare providers, Career Technology Centers, and school-to-work organizations.

A group of doctors and nurses are standing in a hospital room looking at a tablet.

A nurse is helping an elderly woman walk.

Grants to Support the Nursing Profession

Programs that both support the need of nurses in our communities and which are aimed at addressing the significant nursing shortage in NEPA are important for quality delivery of care. Through Careers in Care, eligible initiatives can support and focus on nurses as employees, as well as nursing students. Potential partners/applicants can include but are not limited to vocational schools, colleges, universities, K-12 schools, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations. Click below to see what proposals can include.

Learn More

Visit the Scranton Area Community Foundation to explore opportunities and discover how you can apply for a grant through the NEPA Health Care Foundation.

Learn More

(570) 347-6203, ext. 310

615 Jefferson Avenue

Suite 102

Scranton, PA 18510

NEPAHCF@safdn.org

NEPA Health Care Foundation and Partnering Foundations to Provide $1.1 Million in Grants to Help Increase Staffing to Mental Health Services

01 Oct, 2024

SCRANTON, Pa. – The Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation, in collaboration with AllOne Foundation & Charities and the Moses Taylor Foundation, is providing approximately $1.13 million in grant support through a newly launched initiative to help increase the number of providers available to serve the increased number of clients with mental and behavioral health needs. One of the main barriers to nonprofit service providers’ abilities to meet this increased demand is difficulty attracting and maintaining a sufficient regional workforce with these professional qualifications. To help address this issue, the NEPA Health Care Foundation, established in 2011 and administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, established the Employee Assistance Grant program (EAP). The NEPA Health Care Foundation collaborated with the Moses Taylor Foundation and AllOne Foundation; Charities to support seven organizations providing mental and behavioral health services in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming counties with funding for staffing needs. The EAP grants will be distributed over a three-year period to support their ability to sustain a sufficient level of qualified behavioral health providers to meet community demand. Specifically, they will help to minimize employee attrition, aid in new employee recruitment and support the long-term sustainability of the mental health provider workforce. In response to an increased need for behavioral and mental health care services in the area, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation created this grant program as part of a three-year commitment to ensure continued support for these critical services. “The need for behavioral and mental health care services in our region is more pressing than ever,” said Jim Clemente, Board Chair of the NEPA Health Care Foundation. “These grants are designed to support the dedicated professionals on the front lines by addressing financial stressors and helping organizations retain and attract talent. By investing in our providers, we’re ultimately investing in the long-term health and well-being of our community.” The 2024 grantees are Allied Services for an enhanced assistance program for behavioral health team members; Children's Advocacy Center of NEPA for launching an employee assistance program to retain and attract behavioral health employees; Children's Service Center for an employee tuition and loan assistance program; Friendship House for the Friendship House ABA Program Staff Recruitment Initiative; Jewish Family Service of Northeastern Pennsylvania for investing in social workers; Scranton Counseling Center for the Scranton Counseling Center Employee Assistance Program expansion; and Volunteers in Medicine for the development of an employee assistance program in a nonprofit, free clinic setting. Over $400,000 in grant funding will be distributed in 2024 specifically to support the behavioral health care workforce. In addition to the EAP program, the NEPA Health Care Foundation provides scholarships through its Careers in Care program to increase the number of nurses able to provide care to the communities they serve. These critical scholarships support the education and training of CNAs, LPNs and RN/BSNs in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wyoming Counties. To date, 158 scholarships have been provided through Careers in Care.