About Us

The Creation of the Collaborative

In June of 2022, Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly brought together leaders from education and healthcare systems to look at ways we could work in collaboration to address workforce challenges creating a crisis in our health care systems. The group quickly identified that working together on collaborative solutions was essential to making a significant impact.  From this initial meeting the Polk County Healthcare Workforce was established. Since that time, a key group of leaders has been working to develop trust and to gain a shared understanding of the need and opportunity.

Leaders from each of the institutions met from June 2022 to February 2023 to look at various options with the goal of presenting a proposal for ARPA funding to the Polk County Supervisors for a sustainable approach to increase the healthcare workforce for Iowa. The options were evaluated, and it was clear: career exploration and support through education for future providers are critical components of addressing the shortage.  The group decided that most positive way we could make an impact would be to work collaboratively to support high school and college students through pathway navigators for career development and exploration. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the leaders of the entities involved and $1 million dollars was awarded by the Polk County Board of Supervisors from ARPA funding. This is a long-term solution to address our healthcare needs and to bring into the pipeline individuals interested in careers in the field.

The Collaborative seeks to raise awareness and excitement about healthcare careers, to educate more Iowans in high-demand occupations, and employ these individuals in healthcare organizations in Polk County and the State of Iowa. To serve the high school population a work-based learning navigator will engage students and educators through hands-on exploration, information, and connection to professionals.  Currently, each organization is receiving calls and emails from teachers asking for ‘shadowing opportunities’ for students. With this funding, the collaborative will be able to take a joint approach to supporting these requests and offer additional ways to learn about careers. To serve the college students pursuing their healthcare education, the collaborative will have a pathway navigator to help remove barriers to completion and connect students to their future employment.