A creative approach to addressing the shortage of certified medical assistants
A collaboration between VCU Health and the Community College Workforce Alliance has led to the hiring of more than 100 health care professionals
October 02, 2024
The Community College Workforce Alliance launched in 2021 as a new approach to address a shortage of certified medical assistants (CMAs) seen locally and nationally. (Getty Images)
By Danielle Pierce
Preparing exam rooms for the next visitor. Answering every detailed question from a caregiver. Serving as a liaison between a patient and their doctor. These are just some of the important tasks overseen by certified medical assistants (CMA), a critical member of a patient’s care team.
But there is a major shortage of these roles in health systems across the United States, with approximately 114,600 medical assistant positions open each year. Demand for CMAs is projected to grow by 14% percent from 2022 to 2032.
Identifying the need to address this critical shortage with new and innovative approaches, VCU Health formed a partnership with the Community College Workforce Alliance (CCWA), the workforce development division of Brightpoint and Reynolds Community Colleges, to create a program to ensure a steady flow of skilled CMAs ready to join the health care workforce.
“We know and understand the importance of creating a robust channel of skilled, compassionate workers for health systems throughout the commonwealth and beyond,” said Sheryl Garland, chief of health impact for VCU Health System. “We are grateful that we have amazing partners, like CCWA, to work with on these critical issues.”
Supporting students each step of the way
The collaboration began in June 2021, with VCU Health hosting two-day workshops for newly certified CCWA graduates. These workshops were more than just training sessions; they were gateways to promising careers. Participants engaged in mock interviews, met with hiring managers, and learned essential skills like conflict management and effective communication.
In addition to educational and career support, the program also seeks ways to remove barriers for students.
“The success of this partnership lies in the comprehensive support provided to students,” said Elizabeth Creamer, vice president of workforce development at CCWA. “It’s not just a program where students come for a class and go home. We meet students where they are and provide support every step of the way.”
The support comes in various forms. For example, VCU Health was awarded a Truist grant that enabled the organization to provide students with access to resources for transportation, program and testing fees, tutoring services and other key items.
CCWA also provides educational advising, life coaching, laptop loans, tutoring, and financial support to ensure students have everything they need to succeed.
The results speak for themselves.
Not even two years after the program’s launch, VCU Health has hired more than 100 newly credentialed CMAs completing the CCWA program into full-time positions, offering them not only jobs but also benefits like health insurance and tuition support for continued education.
A broader vision: The Community Workforce Continuum
The VCU Health and CCWA partnership is part of a larger vision – the Community Workforce Continuum. This comprehensive model aims to strengthen and expand training programs from K-12 through community colleges to internal programs at VCU Health, reaching new populations of underemployed workers interested in becoming VCU Health employees.
The Community Workforce Continuum focuses on building development programs for three types of healthcare positions:
- Entry-Level: Collaborating with regional high schools and community organizations, VCU Health develops programs for students interested in roles requiring a high school diploma or GED, such as support service staff, schedulers, and patient transport technicians.
- Credentialed: Partnering with regional technical centers and community colleges and their affiliated workforce development divisions, VCU Health supports students for roles requiring occupational certificates or credentials, such as CMAs, certified nursing assistants, and phlebotomists.
- Associate Degree: VCU Health works with community colleges to train students for positions requiring an associate degree, including registered nurses, respiratory therapy technicians, and medical laboratory technicians.
