Nursing professionals and health system representatives statewide gathered Thursday, July 11 to discuss needs and workforce demand within healthcare.

The Nursing Workforce Summit, a collaboration between Albany State University (ASU), Augusta University (AU) and the University System of Georgia (USG), served as an opportunity for colleges and universities to hear directly from health system representatives concerning workforce needs.

“Having a larger conversation among USG schools that offer healthcare degrees allows us to strengthen our collective ability to educate and graduate our students in healthcare fields,” said ASU President Marion Ross Fedrick. “Summits like this one ensure that, collectively, we are providing the best education to all healthcare students in the University System of Georgia, so that they are prepared to provide patient care.”

A variety of sessions were held during the Summit. Topics included a review on the nursing supply and transition to the field, understanding pain points for employers and institutions and collaborative strategies for the nursing workforce. ASU personnel also toured the Simulation Center at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. ASU has been working collaboratively with local partners for the last 12 months to develop a similar center in the Albany area.

“The focus of the Nursing Workforce Summit was "Partnering for the Future," said Sarah Brinson, dean of the ASU Darton College of Health Professions. “Partnerships not only included educational and community partnerships, but also industry partnerships. ASU and Phoebe Health Care system have laid the foundational groundwork for building these partnerships for our community. We are excited to move forward with our collaborations with all of our Southwest Georgia Community partners.”

Tracy Suber, assistant vice president for the Center for Learning & Innovation at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, stressed the importance of having frequent conversations to bridge the gap between colleges and the workforce needs of employers. The nursing summit was the first of several planned meetings.

“It's vitally important that we remain on the same page with workforce supply and demand and support one another in our efforts,” Suber said. “Recruitment and retention of qualified talent is a priority for Phoebe. Candidates coming into the workforce should feel prepared and ready to embrace the complexities of the healthcare environment.  Phoebe has strong relationships with our academic partners, including Albany State University. We work to provide unique clinical opportunities through placement of their students in many of our departments and units within the hospital setting. We look forward to continuing to strengthen these partnerships through innovative approaches.”

At a 2018 State of the Community event, Fedrick discussed the importance of having a statewide conversation about healthcare needs and education.

 “The Summit is a giant step forward to promoting a more educated workforce for the state of Georgia,” Fedrick said.