CCMSD creates training program

Crook County Medical Services District (CCMSD) is introducing a new program that it hopes will encourage staff members to progress their own careers – and simultaneously offer an opportunity to people who may be interested in the medical field but are either unable to afford the education required or cannot justify leaving a current job to go back to school.

“It’s our belief that the best way to staff our facilities is from within,” said board chairman Mark Erickson at last week’s meeting, explaining the program to incoming board member Brent Fowler.

“We want to grow from within the community.”

To honor this philosophy, the district has introduced a training program in which it will pay the costs of education for an employee in return for that person’s pledge that they will continue working for the district for a certain amount of time.

As well as encouraging people to enter the medical field in the first place, the district is hoping to stimulate career progression for current employees who would like to progress to the next level.

For example, said Erickson, if a member of the community is interested in getting into the healthcare field by starting out as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), the district will pay the cost of tuition up to a certain amount per year.

“Then you have to work for X amount of time to basically work that off,” he said.

At that point, if the person decided they wanted to move further and become an LPN or RN – “Which is where we have a need,” said Erickson – they can do so.

“For each year that we assist you with your education, that gives us a year that you’re locked in to work for us – at scale,” he said.

The district has set up funding to provide for this training, said Erickson, and considers it money well spent because, at the end of the day, paying for a traveling provider is more expensive than paying for tuition costs and keeping an employee on the payroll.

Meanwhile, the policy aims to remove a common roadblock to career progression.

“When you’re working as a CNA, you’re not exactly flush in cash, so when you have to pay for your education up front, that can be an inhibitor for you to move forward,” Erickson said.

An additional advantage, said Erickson, is that the district will improve its appeal to new and existing medical providers.

“We’re competing here not just with nearby, but nationally, with regard to keeping our talent,” he said.

At last week’s meeting, a draft of the new policy was presented to the board along with questions about the finer details. For example, how to deal with a situation in which an employee does not pass the course or reneges on their promise to continue working for the district.

The question was also raised as to how much of the tuition cost the district should pay, with a suggestion made that the district pay 70% of the education cost and the employee pay the remaining 30%. However, this did not meet with the approval of the board.

“I want to encourage the education of our employees, I’m not in favor of that,” said Erickson.

The board expects to vote on a formal policy to establish the scheme in due course, once CEO Micki Lyons and board attorney Kara Ellsbury have made updates according to the board’s wishes and sent the new version for review.