PLATTSBURGH, N.H. (WCAX) – Colleges, hospitals and health care providers are unveiling a new digital tool to address workforce shortage issues.
“We are thrilled to be a partner and we are proud to commit to seeing this ICAM launch and be successful,” said Joseph Keegan, president of North Country Community College.
North Country leaders are touting a new digital platform Health Workforce New York created to address staffing shortages in the health care field.
“This is an infrastructure, a unique, innovative infrastructure that has not existed in New York State or anywhere for that fact but is bringing all of the stakeholders together under one roof,” said Richard Merchant from HWNY.
Merchant says the Institute for Career Advancement in Medicine, or ICAM, combines health care education from different organizations into one centralized location online, where current and future workers can read about and apply for job opportunities.
“When one door closes, another one opens and this one opened so many doors,” said Beekmantown High School junior Olivia Burgin, who says her interest in health care has turned into real opportunities. “This kind of opened the door being able to get to see what health care looked like a little bit earlier and get to see different internship opportunities and get hands-on experience,” said Burgin.
As for Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, the new digital interface is a way to bring in the next wave of workers.
“We have never had anything like this before and we kind of have all functioned, in our independent areas, I will call them silos for the moment and this really becomes an underpinning for all of that,” said CVPH president Michelle Lebeau.
Enrollment for ICAM is free, you can check it out on their website.