Workforce Innovations

NOVA Service

Healthcare Navigator

The Silicon Valley healthcare industry is constantly in transition. Changes in healthcare delivery systems and staff-to-patient ratio legislation, as well as a critical shortage of registered nurses, have significantly altered the local healthcare labor market in recent years. Recognizing the volatile nature of the industry and seeking to focus the growing interest in healthcare careers, California's Employment Development Department provided seed funding for a "healthcare navigator" position to serve as the point of contact for one-stop centers as they work with individuals interested in pursuing healthcare careers.

In this role, Alison Winters serves the three one-stop centers in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, and is the onsite interagency expert on the Silicon Valley healthcare labor market. In addition to working with one-stop staff, Winters also serves as a liaison between workforce development, education and business to track and respond to changes in the healthcare labor market and to identify real-time opportunities for job seekers. She conducts staff development workshops on healthcare careers and is planning a healthcare career seminar for one-stop center clients to be held in late Spring 2006.

Data collection for the healthcare navigator project began in June 2005. Winters interviewed numerous Bay Area healthcare employers, training providers, allied healthcare professionals, individuals in healthcare training programs, and representatives from professional associations about their perceptions regarding issues driving allied healthcare occupations, the local healthcare industry, and their staffing needs. This data has been aggregated and incorporated into comprehensive occupational- and industry-trend reports. An internal Web site has also been developed allowing one-stop staff access to these reports as they provide career counseling to clients.

Kathie DeHart, career advisor at NOVA, says, "Having a healthcare navigator at NOVA is important. Most job seekers are from non-healthcare positions, and because employers have very specific hiring needs, breaking into the healthcare industry can be challenging. Alison is an invaluable resource in helping staff become knowledgeable about the healthcare industry, which helps staff better assist clients in a career transition."

Ultimately, the benefit to local business and to the community in general will be an increase in the number of individuals entering into the allied health industry. The quality and availability of healthcare training within the region might also improve through increased communication between the healthcare industry and local training programs.

For more information about the healthcare navigator program, please contact Alison Winters at (408) 730-7232 or by e-mail at awinters@novaworks.org.