‘OMA‘O — A long-term-care facility is offering tuition reimbursement for anyone completing the certified nursing assistant course and going to work there.
The pandemic has aggravated a pre-existing shortage of health-care workers on Kaua‘i.
“There’s a need for health-care workers across the health-care continuum in the community, whether that be home workers, people in the hospital and skilled-nursing facilities,” Jacob Mauer, administrator of Hale Kupuna Heritage Home, told The Garden Island.
Mauer has approximately 94 staff members, enough to properly care for Hale Kupuna’s current resident population, which is below the facility’s 84-bed capacity. But more workers would allow this facility and other health-care providers to accept more patients.
“Right now, the population is aging, and people need those services throughout the continuity of care,” Mauer said.
The CNA scholarships provide full-tuition reimbursement for certification programs offered at Kaua‘i Community College and West Kaua‘i CNA. Mauer believes this is a solution to the Kaua‘i health-care industry’s workforce problem, and a hospital executive thinks he’s on the right track.
“We’re going to have to start looking at ‘Can we help fund it (CNA certification) for people to go into the field?’” said Cheryl Tennberg, regional chief nurse executive for the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation Kaua‘i Region, which operates Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, Samuel Mahelona Memorial
Hospital and several medical clinics.
“The program doesn’t cost that much. But you know, when you’re not working, you don’t have a job to pay for it,” she said.
HHSC is also facing a staffing shortage within specialty areas. The high cost of living on Kaua‘i drives local health-care workers off-island and makes it difficult to hire those from the mainland, according to Tennberg.
Like Mauer, she believes the Kaua‘i health-care industry must invest in developing talent at home, not afar.
“We need to start to grow our own and keep our own,” Tennberg said. “Our nurses get out of nursing school, and they can’t get jobs because they’re inexperienced … so they end up leaving to go to the mainland to get jobs.”
To combat this, HHSC is planning a preceptor program that will provide newly minted workers with the experience they need.
“I’m really trying to work with our people on Kaua‘i to get them to stay here,” Tennberg said. “We’ll bring them in and we’ll train them and let them choose where they want to go work after their preceptorship is done.”
Tennberg and Mauer’s comments echoed statements made by industry leaders at a state Senate hearing earlier this month. There, officials reported statewide staffing shortages were exacerbated by rental-car and hotel-room shortages.
Lance Segawa, HHSC Kauai regional CEO, told The Garden Island that staffing levels are adequate at KVMH and SMMH.
“We’re not at any crisis level, in terms of ‘can’t find anybody,’ but we’re always trying to be in front of the issue,” Segawa said.
Wilcox Medical Center also reported it has the capabilities to care for patients with and without COVID-19. However, the current surge in local cases does raise concerns, according to spokesperson Faith Campbell.
”Therefore, we have made arrangements for additional staff and travelers, including nurses and respiratory therapists,” Campbell said.
Wilcox is also part of the Hawai‘i Pacific Health care system, which, according to Campbell, is working with the Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i as it coordinates staffing aid for hospitals statewide with the state Department of Health and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Meanwhile, Mauer is celebrating current staff members at Hale Kupuna Heritage Home.
“I’m so proud of them … I just want to recognize all the people in my facility,” he said. “It’s been a tough year with the pandemic. We have wonderful, wonderful, good-hearted, great staff, and a lot of them have been here 10, 15, 20, even 25 years in this facility.”
CNAs at Hale Kupuna Heritage Home provide assistance with most activities related to daily life, and therefore have the most one-on-one interactions with residents, he said.
Hale Kupuna CNAs will also have career opportunities at the three other Kaua‘i facilities operated by ‘Ohana Pacific Management Company (Garden Isle Rehabilitation &Healthcare; Kaua‘i Adult Day Health Center; and Stay At Home Healthcare Services).
According to Mauer, the job calls for “good-hearted, kind individuals.” A background in health care is not necessary.
Links to the CNA scholarship and job listings are available on the Hale Kupuna Heritage Home – ‘Ohana Pacific Health Facebook page and at ohanapacific.com/careers/.
“I think the great thing about health care is every single day (you) can make an impact on so many people’s lives, and our facility, and health care in general, gives you that opportunity,” Mauer concluded.
•••
Scott Yunker, general assignment reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
