D.C. Council Member Launches Program
D.C. Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) visited NHS on Monday, March 31, to launch a new employee training program for city residents. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the council, the Health Workforce Innovation Project is a collaborative effort among Georgetown University Hospital, the District of Columbia Department of Employee Services, and the Department of Health Systems Administration at NHS. The program, a first of its kind, will train and employ 40 District residents as health unit coordinators throughout MedStar Health's three District facilities, including Georgetown University Hospital, National Rehabilitation Hospital, and Washington Hospital Center. NHS faculty and staff will coordinate the training effort and evaluate the effectiveness of this type of program in enhancing quality of care and patient outcomes. "We have a great need in the city for these professions," said Catania (F'90, L'94), chair of the city's Committee on Health. "So I'm very excited about this." Health unit coordinators are responsible for many administrative tasks such as transcribing medical orders, responding to patient needs, code notification, and compiling medical charts. They are the central point of contact for patient, visitors, and professionals. "We are very excited to partner with the city of the District of Columbia and Georgetown University to expand our role as a teaching hospital," said Joy Drass, M.D. (M'73), president of Georgetown University Hospital. "We look at this as a valuable opportunity to provide outstanding education to members of the community to advance the quality of care provided by Georgetown University Hospital and to continue to be a trusted leader in caring for people and advancing health." "Our partnership with the city enables us to deal with several converging issues," said Gary Filerman, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration. "First, we can attract good people for good careers in health care. Second, we can develop a concrete response to expensive and high turnover in hospital positions. And last, we can evaluate this innovative approach that may hold real promise for helping hospitals to improve quality of care." "Our partnership with the university and the hospital is the perfect collaboration of training expertise and employment opportunity within a demand occupation," said Summer Spencer, director of the Department of Employment Services. "I believe that this is a training model that can be replicated in other industries." The program will include two classes of 20 students, each participating in a 12-week program. Students will receive training in the operation of nursing units and outpatient departments, medical terminology, computer skills, positive and effective communication, and many other areas of unit coordination. Stephan Davis (G'09), a master's candidate in the Department of Health Systems Administration, serves as project director. "Our guiding principles are leadership, partnership, and innovation," Davis said.
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