Iroquois Healthcare>Acute Care Training Program

ACUTE CARE TRAINING PROGRAM

Program Overview

The IHA Acute Care Training Program was a workforce development initiative designed to support entry‑level and frontline employees working in acute care hospital settings across Upstate New York. Funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and administered by the Iroquois Healthcare Association Workforce Investment Organization (IHAWIO), the program provided free, high‑quality online training to IHA member hospitals and health systems.

The program was developed in direct response to workforce challenges facing hospitals, with a focus on building foundational skills, supporting employee well‑being, and strengthening recruitment and retention. Training was delivered through the HealthStream learning management platform and curated by subject matter experts with real‑world healthcare experience. IHAWIO supported participating hospitals through active outreach, ongoing communication, and hands‑on administrative assistance throughout the grant

 

Core Program Components

The Acute Care Training Program delivered a comprehensive and flexible learning experience that supported both clinical and non‑clinical hospital staff. Core components included:

  • Extensive Online Course Library: Participants had access to more than 120 online courses, covering professional development, healthcare fundamentals, emergency management, patient care basics, compliance, diversity, equity and inclusion, mental health, resiliency, and health equity.
  • Targeted Training Tracks: The program offered structured learning pathways aligned to workforce needs, including:
    • Soft skills and professional development
    • Healthcare 101 for employees new to healthcare
    • Patient care basics
    • Emergency management and safety
    • Cultural awareness and implicit bias
  • Post‑knowledge assessments: Courses included post‑tests to validate learning, track knowledge gains, and support documentation of competency and compliance.
  • Reporting and analytics: Automated tracking and monthly usage reports provided hospitals with visibility into enrollment, completion rates, and participation trends. IHAWIO also worked directly with hospitals to integrate courses into mandatory training where feasible.
  • Technology access support: Participating organizations were eligible to receive Google Chromebooks to ensure equitable access to online learning, particularly for entry‑level staff with limited prior exposure to digital training platforms
  • Mental Health and Well‑Being Digital Toolkit: In the final year of the program, IHAWIO developed and launched a comprehensive Mental Health and Well‑Being Digital Toolkit in partnership with Advocates for Human Potential. The toolkit included individual assessments, planning tools, interactive learning modules, and organizational resources, and was debuted at the IHA in‑person Human Resources Forum in October 2023.
  • Administrative and participant support: IHAWIO managed program setup, learner group creation, reporting, and ongoing participant support, reducing administrative burden for hospital educators facing staffing and capacity challenges.

 

Program Goals

The Acute Care Training Program was designed to strengthen the hospital workforce by:

  • Improving foundational and job‑specific skills needed to perform at a high level of quality
  • Supporting employee mental health, resiliency, and stress management
  • Developing critical soft skills such as communication, teamwork, mentorship, and interpersonal effectiveness
  • Providing hospitals with a meaningful recruitment and retention strategy through professional development opportunities
  • Creating accessible career development pathways for entry‑level hospital workers

 

Program impact

Over the course of its three‑year operation, the Acute Care Training Program achieved significant and measurable outcomes across IHA member hospitals:

  • 18 hospitals participated in the program during 2023, including critical access, Medicare‑dependent, and sole community hospitals serving rural communities
  • More than 11,400 courses were completed in 2023 alone, representing the highest usage across the program’s three years
  • Approximately 5,500 hospital employees completed training courses in 2023 at no cost to themselves or their employers
  • Since program inception, approximately 15,000 total course completions were achieved across multiple topic areas
  • The most utilized courses included EMTALA for Everyone, Managing Unconscious Bias, and Compliance Program
  • Participating hospitals spanned 12 Upstate New York counties, including Broome, Saratoga, Franklin, Otsego, Delaware, and St. Lawrence, among others

The Mental Health and Well‑Being Digital Toolkit launched in October 2023 received 553 views, with users returning multiple times to access resources—demonstrating sustained engagement beyond a single visit. The toolkit was also shared nationally through the American Hospital Association network, generating interest from hospital associations across the country.

Through this investment in workforce education, the program helped hospitals build a more skilled, resilient, and engaged acute care workforce, while removing financial and access barriers to high‑quality training and professional development.

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Resources

Additional materials related to the initiative include: