Signing Bonuses Available for Qualified Applicants

MILFORD, Del. – Nurses of all practice levels are invited to the Delaware Veterans Home on Tuesday, Dec. 10, to hear more about opportunities to further their careers by serving those who served the nation.

The Veterans Home is seeking qualified applicants to help meet the health care needs of its residents, all of whom are Delaware military veterans. Positions are available for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs,) Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs.) Jobs at the Veterans Home include comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits and opportunities for growth and advancement.

This year, the Veterans Home will offer signing bonuses to eligible new hires in the amounts of $1,500 for CNAs, $2,000 for LPNs and $3,500 for RNs. On-the-spot interviews will be conducted and same-day job offers will be made.

“The Delaware Veterans Home is special place with a special mission and being part of our team means being part of a legacy of service to our state and our country,” said Archie Poling, director of nursing and acting administrator of the Veterans Home. “Like many other health care facilities in the region, we always have a need for highly qualified nurses at the Veterans Home. At this year’s job fair, I look forward to sharing our unique story and inviting applicants to grow their professional careers with us.”

The job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, at the Delaware Veterans Home, 100 Delaware Veterans Blvd., Milford, DE 19963. For more information, call 302-424-6000. Job postings and applications are also available via www.delawarestatejobs.com. Applicants should bring a resume, references, driver’s license, Social Security card, CPR certification if available, and a nursing license or CNA certification.

The Delaware Veterans Home is a 150-bed residential skilled nursing care facility for qualified Delaware military veterans. Established in 2007, the Veterans Home is a division of the Delaware Department of State.

Initiative brings together health care providers, non-profits, Delaware Works, and Delaware Tech to give Delawareans new opportunities to fill openings in growing health care field

Wilmington, DE – Building on efforts to ensure every Delawarean has access to education and training to thrive in today’s economy, Governor Markell today announced a new job training opportunity targeted at young workers, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Governor, who previewed the initiative in his State of the State address, worked with McKinsey Social Initiative to make Wilmington one of the pilot cities in the organization’s Generation USA youth employment program.  By bringing together health care employers with non-profits and Delaware Tech, the program provides Wilmington young adults accelerated training as certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in a fast-growing sector of the economy. Those who complete the program, pass a certification test and interview successfully are guaranteed jobs with Delaware employers.

“In today’s increasingly competitive global economy, we can only build a strong middle class and give all Delawareans a chance to realize their potential if we make it possible for everyone to prepare for good jobs in growing industries,” said Markell. “Youth unemployment in particular remains persistently high across the country and those who struggle to find a stable job at a young age are often unable to catch up to their peers and make the most of their talents. I’m thrilled that McKinsey Social Initiative has chosen Wilmington as one of the first sites of Generation USA and I thank Delaware Tech and Delaware Works, along with our employer and non-profit partners for making this opportunity available for our young workers.”

Geared toward low-income, 18-29 year olds who are currently unemployed or underemployed, Generation offers an eight-week boot camp CNA course in partnership with Delaware Tech.  The program’s recruitment partners include the successful Jobs for Delaware Graduates program, which has demonstrated a tremendous track record of helping the most at-risk students graduate and transition into college or the workforce, as well as Goodwill and Career Tech.

“Generation is grateful for the support of Governor Markell and the many wonderful local partners in Wilmington who are making this program possible,” said Dr. Mona Mourshed, Executive Director of Generation. “Delaware is at the front lines of the effort across the country and the world to better prepare young people to be successful in the middle-skill jobs that employers are so desperately seeking to fill.”

The Generation boot camp integrates technical training in the classroom and at job sites, along with behavioral and mindset skills, which will help students prepare to overcome both workplace and personal challenges. Eight students are expected to participate in each cohort, consistent with state regulations on classroom teacher-student ratios. The first set of employer partners, Saint Francis Healthcare and Cadia Rehabilitation, have been engaged from the beginning of the program, and the curriculum has been developed with their input to meet their employment needs and those of other sizable health care organizations. Generation plans to bring on additional employment partners soon.

“Generation is an exciting program that will help us meet our ongoing need for highly qualified employees,” said Cathy Weaver, Vice President, Mission, Ministry and Human Resources, at Saint Francis Healthcare. “We’re so pleased to be partnering with Generation—and looking forward to welcoming our first hires from the program.”

Participants will begin the process of applying and interviewing with the employers by the third week of the program. Social support and mentorship will be available throughout the course to enable even the most vulnerable young people to be successful. Students will receive stipends during the course. Generation’s model also ensures that graduates of the program will continue to have access to support and regular follow-up contacts for the first six months of their employment.

Graduates will be qualified for certified nurse assistant positions, placing them on a career path where additional training can allow them to take on roles of increasing responsibility, from medical assistants to Registered Nurse jobs.

The first class will start on June 1, and Generation will be recruiting additional classes to start later in the year. Interested young people or employers should contact generationwilmington@mckinseysocialinitiative.org.

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Training a 21^st Century Workforce Delaware’s participation in the Generation USA youth employment program is part of a series of efforts announced in Governor Markell’s State of the State address to rethink the state’s approach to workforce training and ensure more workers gain the skills to meet the demands of key industries in the new economy.

Last month, the Governor announced 15 Pathways to Prosperity grants for high schools to implement programs that allow students to earn workplace experience and college credit in high-demand fields before they graduate.

Next week, he will unveil details about the launch of an IT training program that has already been recognized by the White House as a model for preparing people for well-paying technology jobs.

McKinsey Social Initiative

Founded by McKinsey & Company in 2014, McKinsey Social Initiative applies problem solving expertise to develop innovative approaches to complex social challenges. McKinsey Social Initiative houses individual programs, each of which focuses on a single issue and brings together different partners from the private, public, and social sectors to design and implement solutions. It is an independent 501(c)(3). Generation is McKinsey Social Initiative’s first program.

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CELEBRATING NURSES:
THE NATION’S MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONALS

DOVER – Nurses make a difference in the lives of Delawareans every day. As National Nurse’s Week comes to a close, the Division of Public Health (DPH) recognizes the contribution of nurses throughout the state and within its own agency. Nursing is the largest profession in the health care workforce and continues to be the most trusted profession in America, according to a 2014 Gallup poll. Nurses protect and promote the public’s health through patient care, advocacy, care management, counseling, coalition building, disease investigation, health teaching, policy development, quality improvement, and much more.

DPH nurses are working hard to achieve the Affordable Care Act’s National Quality Strategy (NQS) goals. The goals are part of a larger effort to improve the health care system and include better quality care, affordable care, and healthy people and populations. DPH nurses work in home visiting, clinic, and community settings in a wide range of specialty areas including: child development watch, health promotion and disease prevention; disaster preparedness, response and recovery; HIV case management, immunizations, lead poisoning prevention, population health, health equity, sexual and reproductive health, and tuberculosis elimination.

Division of Public Health nurses and their work include:
Nurse Consultant Lisl Phelps, M.S.N, R.N., based in Milford, is chair of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Delaware, and works with Delaware hospitals to support their achievement of Baby-Friendly Hospital status. She also works in collaboration with the Medical Society of Delaware on the EPIC BEST program to provide onsite training to prenatal, family, and pediatric practices in breast feeding education and support.
Nurse Epidemiologist Paula Eggers, R.N, based in Dover, investigates and works to control communicable disease from pertussis (whooping cough) to measles, MRSA, and influenza. She is a key resource to Delaware’s school nurses, providing consultation and continuing education on a range of topics from Ebola to Lyme disease.
Nurse Manager Terry Dombrowski, M.S.N, R.N, leads efforts to strengthen the Division of Public Health Smart Start home visiting program using the evidenced-based Healthy Families America framework and Partners for a Healthy Baby curriculum.
Alethea Miller, M.S.N, R.N, supervises a team of Smart Start nurses, providing the support they need to, in turn, educate, and support young parents. Both nurses are based in Newark.
Advanced Practice Nurses Remi Adepojou, M.S.N, A.P.N, and Jill Dugar, MSN, APN, provide specialized nursing assessment and intervention services to enhance the development of infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and to enhance the capacity of their families to meet the needs of their young children. Both nurses are based in Newark.
Lead Nurse Gerry Yancy, B.S.N, R.N, based in Newark, provides early intervention and case management services to children who have been exposed to lead poisoning to monitor and improve their health, while also offering education to reduce/prevent further exposure.
Nursing Supervisor Marie O’Leary, B.S.N, R.N, Betty Jo Charles, B.S.N, R.N, and Dianne James, B.S.N, R.N, lead the Tuberculosis Services at Hudson, Williams, and Adams State Services Centers in Newark, Dover, and Georgetown, respectively. Their efforts assure that those with TB disease get the treatment they need, and prevent TB from spreading through the community.
HIV Nurse Rebecca Wiedemer, M.S.N, R.N, based in Newark, provides expert case management services to support and coordinate care for those living with HIV/AIDS in the community.
Advanced Practice Nurse Matilde Cruz, M.S.N, A.P.N., based in Dover, and Dr. Kim Rogers, D.N.P, A.P.N, based in Georgetown, provide sexual and reproductive health services to teens and adults.
Adults and children interested in exploring a career in nursing can learn about 104 specialties, including public health nursing, by checking out www.discovernursing.com, which features video of nurses on the job and offers seven surprising facts about the nursing profession.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

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Rita Landgraf, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Cell 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Delaware Health and Social Services – Division of Public Health