UC program tackles health care worker shortage

With the American Hospital Association predicting a shortage of more than 3 million health care workers in the U.S. by 2026, one program at the University of Cincinnati is working to build a stronger pipeline into the field. 

The Healthcare Exploration Through Patient Care course allows UC students to train and work as patient care assistants (PCAs) within the UC Health system, offering them paid, hands-on experience in hospital settings while earning academic credit. It was recently featured on Spectrum News 1.

Kate Carey, a third-year medical sciences major, said her father’s cancer diagnosis inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Now, through the program, she’s gaining critical experience in the field.

“It’s been really awesome to see how the hospital works, how nurses interact with the doctors and how patients go through their treatment plan,” said Carey.

Students in the course learn skills typically required of PCAs, such as taking vital signs and checking blood sugars, while working directly with patients. More than 300 students have participated in the program so far.

“This is a much more accessible way to get experience,” said Carey.

Arthur Pancioli, MD, professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Emergency Medicine and UC Health's chief clinical officer and one of the program’s creators, said the course was designed in response to growing health care staffing shortages. 

“There just aren’t enough health care providers to be had — here or anywhere across America,” said Pancioli. “By creating an entirely new avenue for entrance into the workforce, we’ve created a huge number of additional teammates to assist.”

“For almost any future employment in health care, having genuine exposure, and even better, an immersive experience, makes you a much more attractive applicant,” he said.

Read what Carey said about how the program has helped her discover which specialties she would like to pursue in medical school. 

Featured image at top: Main entrance to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Photo/UC Health.