08-25-09
East Greenbush, NY
CHC AWARDED GRANT TO IMPROVE HOME CARE WORKER
RETENTION
Community Health
Care Services Foundation, Inc. (CHC) today
announced that it has been awarded a grant from
the New York State Health Foundation for a
demonstration project to improve retention in
the home care workforce. The project will be
conducted by CHC and its affiliate, the New York
State Association of Health Care Providers, Inc.
(HCP), in partnership with Cornell University
research experts from Life Works Learning, LLC (LWL).
It will be modeled after a successful “Retention
Specialist” study conducted by the same research
team to retain certified nursing assistants (CNAs)
in nursing homes.
“Home care is the
fastest growing sector in health care, yet
agencies have difficulty attracting and
retaining home health aides,” said James R.
Knickman, President and CEO of the New York
State Health Foundation. “Identifying successful
strategies that help agencies retain workers is
vital to the delivery of high quality care for
New Yorkers, and we are pleased to support a
project using proven methodology.”
“CHC is excited
to participate in this evidenced-based employee
development and retention program,” said Phyllis
A. Wang, CHC President. “It is essential to
maintain a stable, satisfied home care workforce
to serve the needs of the increasing numbers of
consumers who prefer to receive care in the
comfort of their homes.”
Sixteen HCP
member home care agencies will participate in
the project. Each agency will designate a
“Retention Specialist” who will receive in-depth
training, resources, tools and ongoing support
to institute retention programs and evaluate
their success.
“The hallmark of
this model is the use of an existing leader on
the staff to develop and sustain a core of
caring, committed staff and to serve in the role
of “retention advocate” said Rhoda Meader,
Ph.D., Life Works Learning, LLC. “It is
essential to apply proven workforce retention
strategies across the health care continuum so
that we can continue to make a positive impact
for both workers and clients.”
The project will
be conducted over an 18 month period.
About CHC
CHC
is a 501(3)(c) non-profit educational and
research foundation dedicated to the development
of high-quality education for home care, hospice
and other community-based providers in New York.
The CHC Web site (www.chcforum.org)
highlights its many activities including an
extensive grants program, a variety of
educational seminars for home care providers.
CHC is celebrating 20 years providing high
quality educational programs for the home care
industry.
About HCP
HCP is a
statewide trade association representing the
full spectrum of home and community-based
providers. Through a strong network of regional
chapters and an active State office in Albany,
HCP is a primary authority of the health care
industry. HCP is celebrating 35 years
representing home and community-based care.
About Life Works
Learning
LWL (also known
as the Cornell Gerontology Research Institute)
is one of six Edward R. Roybal Centers on
Applied Gerontology established in 1993 by the
National Institute on Aging. Over the past 12
years, CGRI has successfully managed over $7
million in grant funds and has completed a
number of large-scale intervention and data
collection projects, including research
involving multiple sites.
About the New
York State Health Foundation
The New York
State Health Foundation is a private Foundation
dedicated to improving the health of all New
Yorkers. NYS Health has a three-part mission:
expanding health insurance coverage, increasing
access to high-quality health care services, and
improving public and community health by
educating New Yorkers about health issues and
empowering communities to address them.
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