South Piedmont AHEC

About the South Piedmont AHEC Employer Collaborative

Employer Collaborative Session image
Left to right: Louise Green (Holy Angels), Shawnna Fairman (Randolph Garden), Alyson Dozier (Atrium Health), Nikki Jones (South Piedmont AHEC)

The South Piedmont AHEC Employer Collaborative was formed as part of the NC Health Talent Alliance - NC Chamber initiative to address the critical shortage of healthcare professionals in North Carolina. This collaborative is dedicated to transforming a statewide challenge into actionable regional goals, with the aim of creating sustainable solutions for our healthcare talent shortages.

Employer Collaborative Session image
Left to right: Louise Green (Holy Angels), Shawnna Fairman (Randolph Garden), Alyson Dozier (Atrium Health), Nikki Jones (South Piedmont AHEC)

The collaborative will use regional data provided by the SHEPS Center to focus on developing and implementing strategies that address the recruitment, training, retention, and well-being of healthcare professionals across our eight-county region—Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Stanly, and Union. By working together, we are committed to strengthening the talent pipeline that is vital to the future of healthcare in our region.

The collaborative is driven by a diverse group of employers who bring their expertise and commitment to the table. Together, we are crafting innovative solutions that will ensure a steady flow of skilled professionals entering the healthcare field, from K-12 students to community college and university graduates, as well as licensed professionals seeking to reenter the workforce.

We are excited about the impact our efforts will have, and we invite more employers to join us in this important work. By participating in the South Piedmont AHEC Employer Collaborative, you can help shape the future of healthcare in our region, ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the demands of tomorrow’s healthcare landscape.

What benefits will employers experience?

Employer Collaborative Session image
Mathew Spear (Novant Health), Megan Powell (Lakeside Health and Rehab), Shawnna Fairman (Randolph Garden)
  • Addressing unfilled job openings
  • Reducing onboarding, training, and upgrading costs
  • Improving career advancement, turnover, and retention goals
  • Meeting diversity, equity, and inclusion goals
  • Access to anonymized data from peers to benchmark performance relative to local industry
  • Communicating needs clearly with one voice and at scale
  • Greater leverage in creating and managing better pipelines
  • Greater brand and image for industry

Which employers have joined the collaborative?

  • Atrium Health
  • Novant Health
  • Mecklenburg Public Health Department
  • Gaston County Health Department
  • Union County Health Department
  • SanStone Health & Rehab
  • DayMark Recovery Solutions
  • Brookdale Senior Living solutions
  • The Citadel Mayers Park
  • Peak Resources
  • WellCare Health
  • Consulate Health Care
  • Liberty Health
  • Holy Angels
  • Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
Employer Collaborative Session image
Mathew Spear (Novant Health), Megan Powell (Lakeside Health and Rehab), Shawnna Fairman (Randolph Garden)

Educators' Impact on the Future of Healthcare Talent

In order to improve tomorrow’s healthcare landscape, the collaborative focuses on Strategy 4 and Strategy 5, which pertain to the talent supply provided by educators. Educators from K-12, universities, and community colleges play a crucial role in improving this talent supply. This can only be achieved through the strategic approach of The SHEPS Center, which collects data to ensure that the solutions the collaborative is developing support the needs highlighted in the supply data profile. Both employers and educators understand the importance of working together to strengthen our talent supply.

What benefits will educators experience?

Employer Collaborative Session image
Bridget Haupt (SanStone Health and Rehab), Mason Fleming (Liberty Health)
  • Better informed program investments based on data- driven industry needs
  • Hyper-relevant education programs
  • Higher volume of learners completing programs
  • Accelerated learner outcomes
  • Cross-sector communication and coordination that is ROI-focused
  • Better facilitated local and regional solutions that align with statewide priorities

Which educators are involved in the collaboratives work?

  • University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Northeastern University
  • Central Piedmont Community College
Employer Collaborative Session image
Bridget Haupt (SanStone Health and Rehab), Mason Fleming (Liberty Health)

How is the work being done?

Along with using the Talent Pipeline Management tool this massive regional undertaking is being driven by the exceptional expertise of employers who are members of the employer collaborative. These members utilize the principles of the Talent Pipeline Management Framework, which consists of six strategies. At each step, the collaborative uses data provided by the SHEPS Center, including our regional data profile, which comprises employer demand percentiles and annual projections that need to be met. Additionally, the collaborative incorporates educators' talent supply data profiles. By leveraging both data sets and the employers' years of expertise, the collaborative can create solutions that will have a significant positive impact on improving the talent pipeline.

Employers are also reviewing the statewide NCIOM Task Force recommendations, which include many solutions that can be implemented at the regional level.

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How often does the employer collaborative meet?
The collaborative meets every 4th Thursday of the month from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

How can you get involved in this work?
We would love to have you join the collaborative! Please contact Nikki Jones at Nikki.jones1@atriumhealth.org.