AHN Expands Talent Attraction Program to Ten Hospitals in Western PA

– Multimedia News Release–

After the network’s pilot program at AHN Jefferson Hospital saw tremendous success, expanded program aims to enroll approximately 200 students in allied health career tracks by year’s end

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PITTSBURGH — Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced today the expansion of its unique work-study initiative, the Talent Attraction Program (TAP), to each full-service hospital across the network’s western Pennsylvania footprint.

TAP is a first-of-its-kind work-study program in the region designed to significantly increase the number of diverse candidates for AHN employment opportunities across various allied health fields.

“Allied health” professionals are health roles within the hospital distinct from physicians and nurses, although the TAP initiative also includes registered nursing as a potential designated career path. Allied professionals typically include imaging technologists, ultrasound technicians, respiratory therapists, medical lab technicians, and others who support diagnostic, technical and therapeutic health care needs.

TAP’s pilot was officially launched in August 2022 at AHN Jefferson and, in close partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), has since enrolled more than 40 students across allied health career tracks.

CCAC tuition is covered for enrolled students, and the expanded program will accommodate up to 200 enrollees annually.

“As our enrollment numbers grew and our pilot achieved success, AHN leadership quickly recognized the potential of this program,” said Kelly Kassab, chief of operations at AHN Jefferson and founder of TAP. “We knew that a network-wide effort could bring in far more students and help to solve for the significant recruitment problems we face, in a mutually beneficial way.”

More than 85% of health care facilities and hospitals across the U.S. are facing shortages of allied health  professionals, according to a 2022 report. TAP is designed to not only solve for recruitment and retention shortfalls, but also to remove barriers to transportation and cost, thanks to the program’s partnership with philanthropic supporters like the Highmark Foundation and the Jefferson Regional Foundation.

“When we were having conversations with prospective students, we found that tuition cost was their biggest barrier to getting onto a career track. As a result, they were landing in entry-level positions and staying in those positions without upward mobility,” Kassab said. “The right thing to do, in order to get these students onto a career track, was to pay the tuition.”

No matter where the TAP student is enrolled — CCAC, the AHN West Penn School of Nursing, or the AHN Citizen’s School of Nursing — the tuition is paid by AHN, and the student never sees a bill.

A cornerstone of TAP is its mentorship initiative which focuses on building a rapport between seasoned hospital employees and prospective students within the same field of study. Mentors support their proteges in all aspects, both professionally and personally, and hold weekly check-ins.

They also help to identify barriers students may have — such as food insecurity or housing instability — and work with AHN to remove them.

Robert Brown, of Pittsburgh’s North Side, is a former security guard at AHN Jefferson and is now a prospective student at the West Penn School of Nursing through the TAP initiative. In a recent interview, he discussed his growing relationship with his mentor, Melanie Hutcherson. Hutcherson is a nurse manager at AHN Jefferson.

“I think working on the same unit with my mentor, I feel that we have a greater connection” explained Brown. “We had similar interests in nursing, with a focus on behavioral health — how to help the Black community when it comes to mental health is important to both of us.”

In addition to registered nursing, career tracks that are popular among enrolled TAP students include anesthesia, medical lab and radiation technicians, and respiratory therapy. TAP is now being offered at AHN West Penn, AHN Forbes, AHN Grove City, AHN Allegheny Valley, AHN Jefferson, AHN Wexford, AHN Canonsburg, AHN Saint Vincent and AHN Allegheny General hospitals.

Those who want to learn more may contact TAP program director, Kaseem Bey at Kaseem.Bey@AHN.org or call 412-310-5148.

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