Alyssa Eifert needed an opportunity “to get ahead in life.” A challenging childhood in Waterloo, Iowa, eventually led her to community college and a part-time receptionist job at UnityPoint Health (UPH). She excelled in the position but often felt that she could do more. “I always looked for extra things to do because I didn’t feel really accomplished at the end of the day,” says Alyssa.

That all changed when Alyssa’s boss identified her as a potential candidate for UPH’s Career Pathways. An expedited online-based educational program, Career Pathways allowed her to obtain her certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA) certification in only four months. Yet along with speed, there was financial support: UnityPoint Health not only paid for the program, it paid her receptionist salary while she was away from her job. Alyssa decided to prioritize her work-sponsored program and successfully completed it, becoming a medical assistant last fall.

Alyssa Eifert is one of about six dozen UnityPoint Health employees taking advantage of their transformative Career Pathways programs for Medical Assistants and Surgical Technologists. A non-profit health care system headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, UPH launched the program in partnership with eLearning leader, MedCerts, to quickly fill open positions, many of them in patient care, and to grow its internal talent by providing in-demand upskilling and reskilling to the current talent pool, while also training new employees.

An Imbalance in Supply and Demand

Health care employment is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2032. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 1.8 million openings in the sector each year with the need for health care workers growing 16% by 2030. This especially applies to the most in-demand positions, including medical assistant, health care administrator, pharmacy technician and home health aide.

Yet, supply is falling far behind demand. The health care industry — from hospitals to medical labs to research facilities and beyond — is facing a severe shortage of qualified workers.

Behind this dire situation are a myriad of factors:

• Rising college tuition costs that price out many would-be medical students.
• Graduates in other fields challenged by the barrier to entry.
• A wave of experienced staff nearing retirement and other employees leaving due to burnout, which can largely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• And an aging population requiring more frequent and more intense health care services. This shortage strains facilities and compromises patient care, underscoring the urgent need for innovative solutions.

A New Path Forward

For health care systems like UnityPoint Health, a life-saving infusion of critically needed staff is being administered through leaps in health care education technology. Bridging the educational gap with skills-based training, modern eLearning programs are gaining momentum due to their effective tools, such as high definition (HD)-quality video-based instruction, virtual simulations, engaging games and animations and other digital experiences, supplemented by real-world externships and on-the-job training at health care facilities.

Speed is also a tremendous benefit. “We’ve tried other medical assistant programs, but they typically took around two years as students balanced work and their studies,” explained Taurie Curry, a navigator for UPH’s Career Pathways. “With the new program, employees can advance to medical assistant positions in just 14-16 weeks, and other health care positions in three to six months.”

From the perspective of employees, the financial support is often the deciding element that makes the transition feasible. Kylie Rinehart, a system manager for UPH Career Pathways, says that the program targets promising employees who may have experienced challenges that kept them from advancing their careers. “We’re providing tuition as well as a supplemental income, so they can keep their salary whole while going through the program,” Rinehart explains.

Filling Positions, Fueling Ambitions

Career Pathways and partnerships with eLearning providers have allowed UPH to create a pipeline of employees to fill open positions quickly. Heidi Fluegel, a patient experience specialist in Coal Valley, Illinois, was identified by her clinic administrator as a high-performing team member who would be an ideal candidate to segue into a role as a certified clinical medical assistant and clinic lead. Gaby Ware was a patient safety companion at UPH Des Moines who was invited to apply for the two-week patient care tech program, going on to graduate in April 2023. Others have transitioned into such high-demand health care roles as certified nursing assistants, medical lab techs and licensed practical nurses.

With the success of piloting Career Pathways in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Madison, Quad Cities and Waterloo, UnityPoint Health looks to expand it into all of its markets across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. And it wouldn’t be surprising if the program has been one reason that, for the third consecutive year, UPH was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the top health care places to work in the country.

For UnityPoint Health, an innovative eLearning program and an investment in its employees has helped solve its long-term staffing issues while boosting employee retention and morale. For graduates like Alyssa Eifert, who is currently working toward her radiology certification, the success of the program is reflected in greater job satisfaction, higher pay and the opportunity to grow. “It’s changed my life a lot, and I’m very blessed and fortunate,” Eifert says, recognizing that her path ahead is as limitless as her aspirations.