The Community Health and Workforce for the Future team is part of the strategic vision of the Scholars Academy. The team supports the following core elements of the Magnet model through programs and unique workforce development initiatives: structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovation and improvements, and empirical quality results. The work is divided into three main workstreams: the Allied Health Scholars Academy (AHSA), Academic Relations, and Community Health. The team is committed to increasing diversity and representation in our service areas.
Academic Relations
Academic Relations supports the growth and development of nursing students through strategic investments in our long-standing summer nursing internship program and the perioperative immersion program. Community investment in our Youth Equine program enhances youth leadership in underserved communities.
Community Health
Community Health supports nursing professional development and the Magnet journey by investing in nursing scholars, health care career awareness, and grant-making through the East Bay Community Foundation.
Allied Health Scholars Academy (AHSA)
The AHSA is the newest of the Scholars Academies, launched in 2022. Investment in allied health workforce development is a key support for Magnet as it enhances the academic preparation and professionalism of the patient care workforce. Our mission is to increase the number of qualified allied health professionals in the workforce through structures and programs that connect people with flexible career paths anchored in quality education, training, and dynamic work experience.
Youth Equine
Connected leadership empowers youth to explore self-regulation, self-awareness, connection, and leadership within themselves and their relationships. This experiential workshop focuses on building youth leadership skills in a therapeutic environment through intentional connection with nature, animals, peers, and the community. We pair HeartMath(R) techniques with animal-assisted activities to support youth in developing their resilience, resulting in increased empowerment within themselves, their relationships, and their communities. The main goal is to support the healing and development of our future generation of leaders and is in alignment with Magnet structural empowerment.
Academic Relations
The Main Workstreams for Academic Relations include:
- Summer Nursing Student Externship Program
- Youth Equine Workshops
- Supporting the expansion of the Perioperative Immersion Program
Twelve nursing students from Bay Area BSN programs participated in the Periop Immersion Program.The program seeks to increase exposure and provide a pipeline for nursing students interested in pursuing specialty training. Students gained valuable experience in the operating room environment, an area that is largely absent from nursing student clinical rotations. The community benefit team paid for instructor time. In 2023 we plan to double from 12 to 24 students: 12 nursing students from Samuel Merritt University and 12 nursing students from CSU East Bay.
- 2022 Clinical Opportunities at Flu Clinics
In 2022 we explored how to increase clinical opportunities for nursing students beyond the usual acute care rotations. We partnered with local nursing schools to expand BSN clinical opportunities for Samuel Merritt students to support existing staff in Napa, Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo, and San Jose employee flu clinics. These clinics are a great opportunity for students to gain experience in providing flu vaccinations and other preventive care services. They also learn about the importance of public health and the role of nurses in preventing the spread of disease.
The request for student assistance came from local sites that were looking to reduce RN workload during the busy flu season. The sites were happy with the assistance and support of the nursing students, and the students were grateful for the opportunity to gain valuable experience.
- Florence Stroud Black History Virtual Conference
In February 2022 and 2023, the Kaiser Permanente Nurse Scholars Academy partnered with the Bay Area Black Nurses Association to offer a virtual event celebrating Black History Month, including distinguished guest speakers, cultural performances, and essential community dialogue.
The Main Workstreams for Community Health Include:
- Deloras Jones Scholarship
- Youth Career Day
- KP Fund for Health Education/Grant-making
- Program Description
- Fund created in 2004 that sits at the East Bay Community Foundation
- Money designated explicitly for grants to nonprofits to support education opportunities and develop a health care workforce outside of Kaiser Permanente
- Grants historically focused on nursing, now expanded to mental health with an additional contribution to the fund in 2020
- Grants given include:
- Selected CA pre-licensure nursing programs for curriculum
redesign to align education with emerging trends better - Research and scan of CA paraprofessional mental health education programs and practice settings to better understand how to leverage and expand pre-master’s degree student resources
A new grant was approved end of 2022 to Asian Health Services for a pilot program to support their ability to serve as a training site for Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.