Dr. Aaron Thompson Joins AdventHealth Manchester for Vital Discussion on Healthcare Workforce Needs in Kentucky

April 26, 2023 — AdventHealth Manchester recently welcomed Dr. Aaron Thompson, President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, to the hospital's campus for a "walk and talk" with the hospital's CEO & President, Sissel Jacob, and administration team. During this visit, Dr. Thompson had the opportunity to view the many initiatives AdventHealth is taking to ensure access to healthcare in the community, such as their recent expansion of the rural health clinic, installation of a new CT scanner, plans for a new MRI machine, and their state-of-the-art surgery department.

Dr. Thompson and hospital staff discussed the challenges rural hospitals face when recruiting and retaining healthcare workers, and the strategies implemented to ensure the community's needs are being met. Dr. Thompson's statewide tour is focused on bringing higher education, employers, and community leaders together to identify current workforce challenges and develop solutions to increase the number of work-ready college graduates in the future.

AdventHealth offers a variety of programs and services to help employees advance their education and career. These include tuition reimbursement, tuition assistance, and a career ladder program. Employees who have been with AdventHealth for at least one year and are pursuing degree programs related to their current or desired job may receive up to 80% of their tuition costs, up to $5,250 per year in tuition reimbursement. Tuition assistance is also available for approved degree and certificate programs, with a cap of $3,000 per year. The career ladder program is designed to help employees advance their careers through education and training and provides up to $1,000 per year towards tuition, fees, and/or books. Additionally, AdventHealth offers a Nurse Residency Program to support recent graduates of a school of nursing with an active RN license and a current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification during their first 12 months of practice.

"It was an honor to have President Dr. Aaron Thompson visit AdventHealth Manchester and discuss the current state of the healthcare workforce in the area," said Sissel Jacob, CEO & President of AdventHealth. "We are proud to be part of the Council on Postsecondary Education's statewide tour, which will help to ensure that our graduates are prepared to take on the workforce challenges of the future. We look forward to continuing our work with President Thompson and community leaders to strengthen the healthcare workforce in Kentucky."