Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai is taking a novel approach to addressing an acute, nationwide shortage of allied health workers through its newly established Chuck Lorre Allied Health School.
The school will soon begin enrolling students in a range of programs that prepare them for certification in some of the highest-demand technical jobs in hospitals. Initially, training programs will be offered for careers in pharmacy technology, respiratory therapy, clinical lab science and radiation therapy. Within several years, Cedars-Sinai plans to introduce pathways to other allied health areas, such as nuclear medicine, physician assistant careers and surgical technology.
"These are all areas that we hope to address as we move forward, once we get a year or two under our belt with these first four programs," Laurence Katznelson, MD, vice dean of medical education at Cedars-Sinai, told Becker's.
Beyond the shortage of physicians and nurses, health systems across the country are navigating significant shortfalls of allied health professionals who play a critical role in care delivery. More than 80% of hospital pharmacy leaders in a 2023 McKinsey survey said they did not have an adequate number of pharmacy technicians. In a 2021 survey, hospital pharmacy administrators reported having to scale back services due to the shortages.
"These shortages can slow down operations," Dr. Katznelson said. "For example, it may take six months or more to schedule a mammogram because of the shortage of technicians."
While Cedars-Sinai's primary focus is addressing its own staffing needs, leaders also see a secondary opportunity to strengthen the region's healthcare ecosystem by preparing graduates for roles at other medical centers.
Cedars-Sinai's allied health school programs range between six months and two years, blending in-person and online instruction. Tuition support is available to eligible individuals, and students will be paid while undergoing onsite clinical training. The school draws from two primary pipelines: current employees looking for higher-paying opportunities, and students from communities in and around Los Angeles, Dr. Katznelson said.
In addition to expanding the workforce, closing pay gaps in historically marginalized areas is another core aim of the initiative.
"To this end, we are having regular conversations with local junior colleges and high school programs about recruitment initiatives," Dr. Katznelson said. Leaders also anticipate Cedars-Sinai's volunteer program to serve as a portal for students interested in entering the healthcare field.
"It's a terrific recruitment tool because this is a [group] of students who are engaged and are passionate – they're looking for opportunities," he said. "This is one of our strengths in terms of sources for recruitment."
For health systems considering similar educational programs to expand the workforce, Dr. Katznelson recommended performing a gap analysis to gain a strong understanding of current and projected needs in the future, establishing partnerships with local high schools and colleges, and ensuring recruitment and retention efforts reflect the diversity of patient populations served by institutions.
"That's really important because, I think mission critical here is that the workforce does reflect the demographics of the region," he said.
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