seCTer is bringing the two leading healthcare providers in the state and 28 other regional health agencies together to address common challenges and develop strategies to strengthen the industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Eastern Connecticut Healthcare Regional Sector Partnership got underway at the start of the year when more than 30 healthcare executives participated in the inaugural meeting at Backus Hospital in January. The initial mission was to identify critical priorities affecting all members and begin to formulate strategies to grow the healthcare sector.
Partnership members agreed on the following priorities to improve care for the communities they serve:
- Attracting more people to healthcare careers
- Improving the quality, quantity, and accessibility of training programs
- Improving the quality of life for employees
- Using the collective voice of the partnership to promote policies that benefit patients
- Addressing the costs of labor and services provided
This Regional Sector Partnership is part of an industry-led collaborative established by The Governor’s Workforce Council to align stakeholders in key industries throughout Connecticut. The Regional Sector Partnership is set to receive additional funding from a recently announced federal grant award received by Connecticut’s Office of Workforce Strategy.
Spanning the continuum of care, this effort is led by industry, with co-chairs including Donna Handley, Senior Vice President and President East Region of Hartford HealthCare; Patrick Greene, President and CEO of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital; and Lisa Ryan, Administrator of Matulaitis Nursing Home. Other co-chairs include industry leaders Jane Downing, owner of Home Instead; United Services executives Diane Manning, President/CEO, and Emily Morrison, Director of Development; and Pam Kinder, Vice President of Business Development of United Community and Family Services.
The vision of the partnership is to be an accessible forum for Eastern Connecticut healthcare employers to work together to achieve their shared priorities. The partners seek to tailor education, workforce, and economic resources to the needs of employers.
Healthcare employers seeking to join the partnership should contact Paul Whitescarver, Executive Director of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region and Patricia Meyer, Director, Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Quinebaug Valley Community College at pwhitescarver@secter.org and PMeyer@qvcc.commnet.edu respectively.
