H2P Promising Practices 9.27.2015

www.h2p.careers
Promising Practices
from the
Health Professions Pathways
Consortium
September 2015
Dr. Marianne Krismer, Ed.D. and Jamie Buss, MPA
Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Consortium by Dr. Marianne Krismer, Ed.D. and
Jamie Buss, MPA, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This project was funded in part by a grant awarded under the Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community
College Career Training Grant Program, as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and
Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official
position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on
linked sites and including but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness,
usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................... iii
Health Careers Pathways (H2P) Consortium Grant Overview......................................................................1
Community College Co-Grantees................................................................................................................................................. 1
H2P Partners ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
What We Do................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
H2P Core Strategies ..................................................................................................................................................................... 2
For Further Information............................................................................................................................................................... 2
Online Assessment and Career Guidance; Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 1.....................................3
Ashland Integrates Online Health Career Information with Digital Literacy Instruction.............................................................. 3
Pine Tech Uses a Web-Based Virtual Healthcare Career Network to Shape the Future for the Next Generation of Healthcare
Workers ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Cincinnati State Uses Assessments in Career Exploration ........................................................................................................... 6
Anoka-Ramsey Offers Many Routes to Earning College Credit for Prior Learning....................................................................... 8
Texarkana College Shortens Time to Completion for VN-to-ADN Transition Students................................................................ 9
Contextualized Development Education, Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 2.....................................12
Supplementary Hybrid Course, “Skills for Success in Science,” Contributes to Increased Success at Cincinnati State.............. 12
Jefferson Achieves Results for Underprepared Students by Implementing a Contextualized Developmental Education
H2P/AOKY Partnership Pathway................................................................................................................................................ 14
Competency-Based Core Curriculum, Promising Practice for H2P Strategy 3............................................17
Minnesota’s Healthcare Core Curriculum (HCCC) Provides a Standardized Health Care Curriculum for High School and College
Students..................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Two Kentucky Community Colleges Create a Healthcare Core Curriculum to Strengthen Health Career Education and Create
Entry-level Health Care Certificates........................................................................................................................................... 19
Industry-Recognized Stackable Credentials, Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 4................................21
El Centro College Develops Stackable Credential Programs through Community-Based Partnerships..................................... 21
Jefferson Partners with Local Employers to Improve Practice and Advance Careers ................................................................ 23
Career Guidance and Retention Support, Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 5....................................25
Cincinnati State Incorporates Social Media Utilizing Facebook for Student Outreach .............................................................. 25
City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College Improves Retention and Completion through Intrusive Advising ...................... 27
Owens Implements a Comprehensive Holistic Advising and Retention Model ......................................................................... 28
Training Programs for Incumbent Healthcare Workers, Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 6..............31
El Centro Enhances Career Pathways through Hospital Partnerships........................................................................................ 31
Pine Tech and Healthcare Alliance Collaborate to Meet the Region’s Health Care Workforce Needs ...................................... 32
Enhanced Data and Accountability Systems, Promising Practice for H2P Strategy 7.................................34
Cincinnati State Aligns Data Reporting with Institutional Research Standards.......................................................................... 34

Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Consortium Page ii
Galvanize a National Movement: “Achieving a National Consensus on Core Curricula in the Health
Professions,” Promising Practice for H2P Strategy 8..................................................................................37
Footnotes....................................................................................................................................................39
Index............................................................................................................................................................40

Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Consortium Page iii
Acknowledgements
H2P is grateful to have had many talented leaders who guided the work of the Consortium throughout
the grant period (2011-2015). In addition to those identified, there were well over 500 student advisors,
data managers, career coaches, employers and technical assistance experts who developed and
implemented the core strategies for our health career pathway innovations. The most significant
contributors, however, were the over 6500 student participants who were willing to work with us and
provide the valuable feedback necessary to make the transformative changes that positively impacted
them and future students.
Consortium Leadership Team:
Marianne Krismer, Consortium Director
Regina Livers, Assistant Director
Kristin Donaldson, Executive Assistant
Co-Grantee Project Managers:
Jan Pomeroy, Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Nikki Bryant, Ashland Community and Technical College
Regina Livers, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Roy Walker, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
David Barrientos, El Centro Community College
Carolyn O’Daniel, Jefferson Community and Technical College
Mary Beth McCreery, Owens Community College
Stefanie Schroeder, Pine Technical and Community College
Cynthia Montgomery, Texarkana College
Co-Grantee College Administrators:
Natasha Baer, Dean, Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Janie Kitchen, Dean, Ashland Community and Technical College
Jean Chappell, Dean Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Vickie Gukenberger, Dean, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
Sondra Flemming, Vice President, El Centro Community College

Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Consortium Page iv
LaCheeta McPherson, Dean, El Centro Community College
Carolyn O’Daniel, Dean, Jefferson Community and Technical College
Dawn Wetmore, Dean, Owens Community College
Stefanie Schroder, Dean, Pine Technical and Community College
Courtney Shoalmire, Dean, Texarkana College
Grant Partners:
Debra Bragg, Director Emeritus, Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of
Illinois Urbana Champaign
Jamie Buss, iSeek Solutions
Jan Morrison, President, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM
Stacey Ocander, President, National Network for Health Career Programs in Two Year Colleges
Ron Painter, CEO, National Association for Workforce Boards
H2P National Advisory Council, 2011-2015:
Lynn Brooks, President, Health Professions Network
Jay Box, Chancellor, Kentucky Community and Technical College System
Michael D. Connelly, CEO, Catholic Health Partners
Valerie DeFor, Executive Director, HealthForce Minnesota
Karen Daley, Past President 2010-2014, American Nurses Association (ANA)
Tina Filoromo, Vice President Home Office OTE/HR, Trinity Health Care
Greg Fraser, Former President, American Association of Allied Health Professions
Jeffrey Jasnoff, VP of Human Resources and Leadership Development, Kindred Healthcare
Parminder Jassal, Founding Executive Director, ACT Foundation
David Krol, Human Capital Portfolio Team, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Gail Macinnes, National Policy Analyst, Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI)
Kathy Megivern, Executive Director, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Anthony Munroe, President, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College
Stacey Ocander, President, National Network of Health Career Pathways in Two-Year Colleges (NN2)

Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Consortium Page v
O’dell Owens, President, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Carolyn O’Daniel, Dean of Allied Health and Nursing, Jefferson Community and Technical College (H2P
Consortium Representative)
Ron Painter, CEO, National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB)
Roy Swift, Director, American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
John Wilcox, CEO, Corporate Voices for Working Families
Holly Zanville, Senior Programs Director, Lumina Foundation
Ex-officio members:
Marianne Krismer, National Director, H2P Consortium
Mindy Feldbaum, Lead Consultant, The Collaboratory

Promising Practices from the Health Professions Pathways Project Page 1
Health Careers Pathways (H2P) Consortium Grant
Overview
On September 26, 2011 the Department of Labor awarded a $19.6 million grant to fund a Health Career
Pathways initiative to nine community colleges in five states. The grant was one of the largest ever
awarded by the Department of Labor through a discretionary grant from the DOL Trade Adjustment
Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program with the aim of better preparing
the target population of trade displaced and lower skilled workers, and other beneficiaries for high-
wage, high-skill employment and ultimately increasing attainment of degrees, certificates and other
industry recognized credentials.
The H2P Consortium is led by Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and is comprised of
nine community college co-grantees and six partner organizations. In addition, the consortium colleges
partner with local employers, community and workforce agencies.
Community College Co-Grantees
 Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids MN
 Ashland Community and Technical College, Ashland KY
 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Cincinnati OH
 City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago IL
 El Centro College, Dallas TX
 Jefferson Community and Technical College, Louisville KY
 Owens Community College, Perrysburg, OH
 Pine Technical and Community College, Pine City MN
 Texarkana College, Texarkana TX
H2P Partners
 Health Professions Network (HPN)
 iSeek Solutions – Promoting implementation of Virtual Career Network for co-grantees
 National Network of Health Career Programs in Two-Year Colleges (NN2)
 National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB)
 Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) – Grant evaluator
 Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) - Technical assistance provider
What We Do
H2P is working collaboratively via sharing best practice, building upon unique skills and learning and
accessing rich resources provided by national consulting partners and technical assistance specialists to
dramatically improve health professions training via career pathways and the development of core
curriculum and core credentials.
To achieve these goals, H2P colleges are replicating a comprehensive model of best practices centered
on a career pathways framework and competency-based core curriculum. Strategies have been
developed in eight key areas to frame our efforts.
This document will highlight some of the most successful and promising practices based upon these
eight implementation strategies that have been successfully adopted by H2P Colleges. It is the hope of

the Consortium as we continue to expand, that by sharing these accomplishments, they may provide
seeds for changes necessary to meet the continued transformation of healthcare education adapted to
address the demands of a new healthcare economy.
H2P Core Strategies
Strategy 1: Online assessment and career guidance
Strategy 2: Contextualized developmental education
Strategy 3: Competency-based core curriculum
Strategy 4: Industry-recognized stackable credentials
Strategy 5: Career guidance and retention support
Strategy 6: Training programs for incumbent healthcare workers
Strategy 7: Enhanced data and accountability systems
Strategy 8: Galvanize a National Movement: “Achieving a National Consensus on Core Curricula in the
Health Professions”
For Further Information
 The H2P Consortium website makes available a wide variety of information about the entire
project, at www.h2p.careers
 The Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana
Champaign has published a formal evaluation of the H2P Consortium’s work during the grant
period. The report is available from OCCRL@illinois.edu.

Online Assessment and Career Guidance; Promising
Practices for H2P Strategy 1
In order to create a seamless pathway for students, the first step that H2P identified that needed
attention was the first engagement experience for the student. All students met with a student success
coach, completed a consistent intake form and initiated the career planning and development process.
Although each college handled this process differently according to their specific needs and system, all
students were assessed for readiness, provided opportunity for career exploration, determined if any
prior learning credit applied and, goals and expectations for the student were discussed and
documented. This important relationship served as an anchor for the students. H2P grant participants
demonstrated much higher retention rates, averaging 88% consortium-wide. This outcome supports the
literature in identifying engagement as a significant factor in completion.
Ashland Integrates Online Health Career Information with Digital Literacy Instruction
The Challenge:
At Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC, in Ashland, KY), we sought to expose more students
to information about careers in health care. Career information has long been provided to ACTC
students through conventional media such as pamphlets, fliers, website and face-to face advising. Yet
we observed that many students who could use the information did not know about it.
The Solution:
When we learned about the Virtual Career Network (www.vcn.org), we decided to leverage this website
to help students explore career information. We met with the Computer Information Technology faculty
who teach the digital literacy course that is mandatory for all students at the college. The computer
faculty agreed to use the VCN as one of the sites students were required to locate and peruse in the
section of their computer course called “Living Online.”
Similarly, faculty teaching GEN 102, an introduction to college course, utilized the VCN site in showing
students about career information online. The students were assigned to complete the Career Guide
and answer questions about the website. The response of the students to this exercise was
overwhelmingly positive.
Here are a few representative responses regarding the Career Guide and overall usefulness of the VCN
website:
“The primary purpose of us using this website is to help a student who “may” be thinking about a
career of some sort in the health care field. This website helps explore the options in
healthcare. It also has many other perks on it! There is an area (“Earn College Credit” top tab)
where returning students can explore to see if previous training on the job, etc. would count for
college credit … This area helps them log the applicable experience and organize it into a

presentable document that they could provide to ACTC for PLA consideration and potential
credit.”
The Career Guide assists in finding you a job that matches your interests, education and
experience. It also connects you with education and training you will need for the healthcare
field.”
“It gives you information on the career you are interested in and helps you understand what to
do and where to go and how to compare wages and demand. It is also helpful in letting you see
job postings in and around your area.”
“Researching online is a great tool for me because it saves me time, I am not traveling around
from place to place to get information and filling out applications, therefore I also save in gas. I
can post my application and resume directly to a particular company’s website and usually they
get it right away, therefore I hear from them sooner. I can save my searches which helps me
compare jobs more easily. I can look up statistics about a job and find information about rate of
pay and the demand for the career. Finally, almost all companies post everything online which I
think makes job hunting a little less stressful. “
“I believe the “Match Your Education to Careers” tab is the most helpful, it helps you get a better
understanding of the correlation between education and greater career opportunities.”
“Another area to look at would be the build a resume section. Even if you are not planning on
going into health care, the site can be useful in preparing you to market your skills for the work
world.”
“I think that one of the most helpful features of this website is that you can see what profession
you are best skilled for, then you can see how much they are paid in that profession, and then
you can see where there are job opportunities in your area. This is a great website for anyone
thinking about going into the medical field. “
The Results:
This integration would not have occurred if H2P had not be part of the college work.
Integrating the VCN into the generalized digital literacy and college skills courses exposes more students
to information about health care careers, not just students who had already committed themselves a
health care program of study. The intent was to interest students who had not considered health care as
a career option.
Sustainability:
This integration continues in the aforementioned courses, without any requirement for additional
funding.
For Further Information:
 Janie Kitchen, Dean of Academic Affairs, janie.kitchen@kctcs.edu

Pine Tech Uses a Web-Based Virtual Healthcare Career Network to Shape the Future for
the Next Generation of Healthcare Workers
The Challenge:
Prior to the H2P project, the prospect and enrollment process at Pine Technical and Community College
(PTCC, in Pine City, MN) was fragmented and took a one-size-fits-all approach. Potential students lacked
a meaningful opportunity to ensure their skills and talents were a good match for their career
aspirations. Current and future students needed good support around choosing a quality program, clear
and cogent academic advising, a sense of what their potential jobs would entail, and an understanding
of their future earning power. Through the H2P project, PTCC was able to hire Education and
Employment Advisors to work with those indicating an interest in nursing and allied healthcare. These
advisors now use Virtual Career Network (VCN), a healthcare-specific career exploration tool, to advise
these students.
The Solution:
VCN is a comprehensive guide to exploring healthcare careers. The website helps students explore
careers, determine which healthcare career is best for them, identify education and training required for
a given job, locate training and education programs near them, access test preparation materials, look
for job openings, and more.
In the early days of implementing VCN, H2P staff worked to educate internal stakeholders through
meetings, demonstrations, and sharing marketing materials. Internal processes were significantly
refined. PTCC began to flag prospects and students who indicate an interest in nursing or allied
healthcare, pairing them with an Education and Employment Advisor. These advisors guide students the
entire way through their educational and early employment journey. A large part of the role of an
Education and Employment Advisor is to help a prospect, student, and/or graduate navigate the
resources and systems in an effort to eliminate barriers to successful completion of a credential and,
ultimately, employment!
Strategy:
PTCC’s efforts to meet H2P’s strategy 1, Online Assessment and Career Guidance, and strategy 5,
enhanced retention support, directly impacted our campus by increasing retention and persistence.
When a student meets with an Education and Employment Advisor, the two will work to identify the
participant’s strengths and needs through structured questioning, VCN interest inventories, other VCN
resources, and general discussion. Then, the pair translates this information into a set of goals that are
SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time restricted). These include both short- and
long-term goals related to both education and employment/career.
The Outcomes and Results:
PTCC has adopted and sustained a more streamlined and intensive way to explore participants’ interest
in health care careers. This approach has increased options for currently enrolled students to further
explore the field of health care, specialties within health care, and PTCC’s stackable credentials.

One nursing student used the free on-line chemistry course that’s available through VCN as preparation
for a placement test. She successfully tested out of the course, allowing this student to reduce the time
required to achieve her education and career goals.
Sustainability:
The VCN is a valuable tool and resource used in PTCC’s newly expanded Career Center. Career Center
and Student Affairs staff have been trained to know and use the resources available to support
prospects and students in guiding them as they consider their future career, while working towards their
education goals, and when seeking employment in healthcare.
o www.pine.edu
o www.healthcare-alliance.org/students/careers.php
o Stefanie Schroeder, Dean of Workforce & Economic Development, Pine Technical and
Community College, schroeders@pine.edu
Cincinnati State Uses Assessments in Career Exploration
The Challenge:
Too many students at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC, in Cincinnati, OH)
pursued majors that were not a great match.
For the majority of CSTCC students, changing majors is one of the decisions to consider and could
possibly change after enrollment. Our system requires the student to identify a program of study in
order to be admitted. Selection of a major is one of the most challenging aspects to a college degree,
because there are so many choices and students were forced into choices a bit too early. Many change
majors and end up taking longer to complete college, and many end up paying for it long after
graduating. Some give up college with all the added frustration - not seeing how it relates to present
circumstances, only to be caught short a few years later and pursuing a field that is not suitable.
The Solution:
CSTCC offers career exploration through ACT’s Fit and Talent Assessment, as well as ACT’s National
Career Readiness Certification (NCRC).
CSTCC, via the Pathway to Employment Center (PTEC), uses the ACT Fit and Talent assessment tool to
assist a new participant in finding a career (and program of study) that is a good match for their
interests, skills, and values. Students find that these assessments help them identify careers that are a
good match for their interests and personalities. When students are in programs of study preparing for
careers that fit them well at a personal level, they are more likely to persist in their studies, complete
their program, and do well in a job.

The WorkKeys noncognitive assessments (Fit and Talent) utilize data about careers that is available on
O*NET websites (interests, skills, work values) and use O*NET codes that link directly to career profiles.
PTEC has administered 967 Fit and Talent assessments and over 900 NCRCs.
Typically when a student comes to PTEC and is unsure of a career or academic path, they will take the
noncognitive assessments (Fit and Talent) at the same time as they are completing the Cognitive
assessments (NCRC components include Applied Math, Locating Information and Reading for
Information). Together, ACT WorkKeys cognitive and noncognitive skill assessments give a more
complete picture of an individual’s work-related competencies than either can provide alone. This “big
picture” approach benefits individuals by identifying their strengths as well as skills they might wish to
improve upon. It can also help employers make more accurate predictions about an individual’s likely
performance on the job.
Noncognitive skill assessments (e.g. ACT’s Fit, Talent and Performance) are also significant predictors of
job-related success. Unlike cognitive skill assessments, they include statements regarding values,
attitudes, and activities. Examinees are asked how well a description fits them, how important a value is
to them, or how much they would like or dislike an activity. The ACT WorkKeys noncognitive skill
assessments are designed to measure an examinee’s soft skills: temperament or personality
characteristics such as attitudes, preferences, interests, or values. For instance, an aspect of the Fit
assessment reflects how highly individuals value autonomy in their work, while a tendency to think and
plan carefully before acting is among the traits covered by Talent.
The Results:
PTEC results suggest that earning an NCRC correlates to better results within a program of study:
increased persistence, higher GPA and timely completion. Of the 468 H2P participants (both level one
and level two) at CSTCC who completed a program of study (as of 12/31/2014), 319 (68%) also earned
some level of the NCRC. PTEC served a wide variety of participants, some of whom are H2P participants.
Among PTEC participants, a total of 931 earned NCRC certificates.
Looking Ahead:
PTEC will continue to offer these cognitive and noncognitive assessments as they are being offered as
services for three additional DOL TAACCCT grants. Student unsure of a career or academic path will
complete the assessment and have the opportunity to discuss their results with a PTEC career coach or
advisor to do career exploration and discuss potential career pathways and programs of study at CSTCC.
The PTEC advisor and job coach will assist the participant with action items needed to accelerate their
program completion and gain employment. We have one employer who uses the tools as a condition
for pre-hire and we plan to pitch the tool to other employers, sharing the benefits.
 PTEC Web site: www.cincinnatistate.edu/on-campus/ptec/ptec
 PTEC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CStatePTEC?fref=ts
 Regina Livers, PTEC Director, CSTCC, regina.livers@cincinnatistate.edu

Anoka-Ramsey Offers Many Routes to Earning College Credit for Prior Learning
The Challenge:
Adult students bring important learning with them, but limited time and money.
The student population of Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC, with campuses in Cambridge and
Coon Rapids, MN) includes a large and growing percentage of adult learners. Many of these students
come to the college with competencies, gained outside of formal, credentialed post-secondary
education, that are closely related to their programs of study. Adult students often find themselves
bored and invalidated, wasting scarce time and money in classes where they have already mastered the
objectives. In addition, other colleges in the area offered more flexible options, so there was a
competitive aspect to the challenge.
The Solution:
We improved our practice of helping students earn credit for what they already know.
ARCC offers a range of options for students to earn “credit for prior learning” (“CPL,” and sometimes
called “prior learning assessment” or “PLA”). CPL is credit students earn (i.e. colleges grant) for college-
level knowledge, skills, and abilities that are attained before enrolling in college. Students review
common course outlines for a specific course to determine whether they possess the competencies
necessary to meet the course objectives. ARCC offers students several ways to demonstrate their
competencies:
 Course-specific examinations have been developed for several courses.
 ARCC honors qualifying scores on a wide range of national exams (CLEP, DSST, AP, and IB).
 Military learning is recognized with academic credit according to guidelines from the American
Council on Education. As a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU)
system, ARCC participates in the VETS web-based system
(www.mnscu.edu/military/transfer.html), which leverages past military credit award decisions
made by any MnSCU institution for the benefit of other students and other MNSCU institutions.
 ARCC has evaluated courses from local Tech Prep programs and awards college credit to
qualifying certificate holders.
 Several courses are articulated with local high schools, allowing high school students that are
successful and enroll at ARCC to receive college credit for classes taken at their high school.
 A student’s learning can also be assessed by using a portfolio process, which students learn to
assemble and write while taking a one-credit course, Individualized Educational Plan.
Students learn about these options during orientation sessions or by meeting with an advisor. Clear,
complete information is easy to find on the college website, both by navigating and using a keyword
search. Brochures, forms, and other paper-based information are also available broadly. Currently there
is not a dedicated staff assigned to CPL, but advisors are trained with CPL information. The Veterans
Services Officer actively helps students who are military veterans to understand and navigate the
process of getting credit for military learning.
Academic and professional goals became more attainable for students enrolled in H2P program.

Fewer students have to take courses where they already know the material, to meet course objectives
in order to get the credentials they seek. Anecdotal evidence at ARCC (and actual research at other
institutions) supports the claim that retention and persistence are improved with CPL, and time to
graduation is decreased. Students who earn CPL gain self-confidence that contributes to their success.
Sustainability and Scaling:
Many staff and faculty at ARCC wanted to explore ways the college could serve adult students even
better, given the increasing percentage of adult students. Through the H2P consortium, the college’s
CPL/PLA committee met with PLA experts from ACE to get assistance in developing a college policy and
strategies to improve faculty participation. MNSCU institutions are working together to improve services
for adult students, including CPL, and ARCC is actively participating in this initiative.
Looking Ahead:
A central challenge at ARCC is securing continuous improvement by engaging more faculty support for
our CPL process. Plans are underway to provide professional development opportunities that highlight
and engage faculty in learning how expanding CPL to more disciplines could benefit the college and
retain our students.
Over the last few years, ARCC has been working collaboratively within the MNSCU network to enhance
CPL at the system level and thus impact the local level. The H2P grant supported the American Council
on Education (ACE) and another external consultant in providing technical support around a variety of
CPL policies and practices.
Related Topics:
 Uselect shows how courses and standardized exams transfer in and out of ARCC, mapped to
ARCC degree requirements. www.transferology.org
 ARCC’s “test out” options allow students to demonstrate mastery of material covered in three
possible prerequisite courses, not for the award of credit but to fulfill a requirement.
 ARCC’s Credit for Prior Learning options: www.anokaramsey.edu/student/cpl.aspx
 ARCC’s H2P Program: www.anokaramsey.edu/classes/H2P.aspx
 Jan Pomeroy, H2P Project Manager, Anoka-Ramsey Community College,
jan.pomeroy@anokaramsey.edu
Texarkana College Shortens Time to Completion for VN-to-ADN Transition Students
The Challenge:
At Texarkana College (TC, in Texarkana, TX), vocational nurses (VN) who sought to further their
education and obtain an associate degree in nursing (ADN) had to repeat some content they had already
learned in the vocational nursing program.

The Solution:
The solution was to teach only the missing content and not to repeat content students learned in their
vocational program. To do this, the initial solution was for transition students to take RNSG 1327
Transition to Professional Nursing in the summer along with RNSG 1251 Care of the Childbearing Family
and RNSG 1160 Clinical Nursing-Registered Nurse Training. Upon successful completion of these six
semester credit hours during the summer, the students would receive five credit hours via Prior
Learning Assessment (PLA) for RNSG 1513 Foundations for Nursing Practice.
A new statute in Texas requires colleges to cap the number of semester credit hours required for an
associate degree at 60 hours. In response to this new law, Texarkana College completed a major
curriculum change for the ADN and the VN-to-ADN transition program. In the new curriculum,
transition students must successfully complete six credit hours in the summer and will then be awarded
13 semester credit hours using PLA. The updated PLA award of 13 credits will begin in summer 2015.
Summer II:
Weekly
Lec. Hrs.
Weekly
Lab Hrs.
Ext
Hrs.
Contact
Hrs.
Credit
Hrs.
RNSG 1327 Transition from
Vocational to Professional Nursing
2 3 0 80 3
RNSG 1251 Care of the
Childbearing Family
2 0 0 32 2
RNSG 1160 Clinical 0 0 3 48 1
Totals 4 3 3 160 6
“Prior Learning Credit” is given for the following courses upon successful completion of Summer II. No
contact hours are accumulated for these courses.
Course Name Weekly
Lec. Hrs.
Weekly
Lab Hrs.
Ext
Hrs.
Contact
Hrs.
Credit
Hrs.
RNSG 1413 Foundations of Nursing
Practice
3 3 0 96 4
RNSG 1360 Foundations Clinical 0 0 9 144 3
RNSG 1431 Principles of Clinical
Decision Making
4 0 0 64 4
RNSG 1260 CDM I Clinical 0 0 6 96 2
Totals 7 3 15 400 13
Because of the H2P initiative, Texarkana College wrote a new PLA policy. The new policy has been
approved by our curriculum committee and the Board of Trustees. Fifty-seven students in the VN-to-
ADN transition program earned five credit hours each through PLA, for a total of 285 semester credit
hours. As a result, these transition students are able to enter the second year of the ADN program in the

fall semester. These students will complete the program faster than if they had to take the entire ADN
curriculum.
Also, PLA is being used in our workforce division. Through an “Innovative Grant” from the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, students enroll in GED courses and continuing education courses that
mirror credit courses in the workforce division. The Innovative Grant follows the I-BEST model from
Washington. When students earn their GED and successfully complete the continuing education
courses, they can be awarded credit through PLA for those mirrored classes and apply those credits to a
for-credit program of study. The students who pass the continuing education class further demonstrate
their learning by testing to receive state certifications, such as those for CNAs, EMTs, and Pharmacy
Technicians.
PLA practices have been adopted as regular practice at TC and therefore will be sustained for the
foreseeable future: PLA as part of the VN-to-ADN program; improved PLA policy that applies to all
students and programs at TC; and PLA practice adopted as part of the Innovative Grant.
Looking Ahead:
One area where we think PLA would be useful is in a competency based health science curriculum. TC
could develop Continuing Education (non-credit) versions of for-credit courses that could stack and
allow students to ultimately earn credit for an entire credit course using PLA.
 Cynthia Montgomery, H2P Project Director and Associate Professor, 903.823.3142,
Cynthia.montgomery@texarkanacollege.edu
 PLA policies are explained in the college catalog:
www.texarkanacollege.edu/academics/catalog-and-schedules/

Contextualized Development Education, Promising
H2P recognized that completion of Developmental Education to College Readiness was a significant
barrier for student participants. The colleges were tasked to develop at least one developmental course
contextualized with health care information in order to increase relevancy for students. Although these
courses were helpful, it was not always economically practical to offer them. Many other methods were
used to help students meet college level readiness including “boot camps”, tutoring, on-line support,
etc. These were found to be most helpful in preparing students and greatly increased persistence of the
participants.
Supplementary Hybrid Course, “Skills for Success in Science,” Contributes to Increased
Success at Cincinnati State
The Challenge:
At Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC, in Cincinnati, OH), students who were
taking the Integrated Biology course were being retained and performing reasonably well; but critical
thinking, synthesis skills, and work readiness were still lacking. We thought we could help those students
even more. Since Integrated Biology is a pre-requisite for Anatomy & Physiology I (A&P), and since A&P
is part of the curriculum for most applied health majors, this was an opportunity to impact a large
number of students in a formative course.
The Solution:
A team of professors built a supplement to Integrated Biology, a set of online modules that we now call
“Skills for Success in Science” (SFSS). The new version of the Integrated Biology course is fully integrated
(Math, Biochemistry and Biology) and contextualized (designed to highlight and apply A&P topics to
content learned). The weekly online modules address the critical thinking, synthesis skills, and work
readiness that students lacked. The material explores seemingly-simple topics for a greater
understanding of how to solve problems and apply the knowledge to real world scenarios. Real world
scenarios, video from professionals in the field, critical thinking challenges, and professionalism are
some of the content students learn and practice in this course.
Students also took several career assessments including ACT’s Fit and Talent, and earned a National
Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) as a result of participating in this class. They received career
counseling regarding their results at the college’s “PTEC” career center.

The Results:
When comparing students before and after the implementation of SFSS, our data indicate that students
performed better in A&P (BIO151) by a full letter grade.
Attrition rates (earned a grade of D, F, or W) in A&P have declined by over nine percentage points at
CSTCC.
With the addition of the H2P grant-supported Skills for Success in Science on-line modules, instructors
have noticed a distinct difference in the way these students approach A&P: they are more confident,
learn independently, ask pertinent questions, and outperform students who have not had the course.
Students are saying:
“This semester is going great so far. I have settled in with a good lab group and my first A&P test
was a 105% :) and I have to say, you really helped to set me up for that. I use my BIO notes all
the time to build on and make connections to what I am learning in A&P.”
“I just wanted to say hi!! Also wanted to tell you that I am sooo glad I took (this) class because so
far, everything (my instructor) has gone over, we learned throughout the semester. I don't know

how these other kids are doing it without your class!! They are going to have to learn so much in
these couple weeks, and it's just review for me! It's great. :)”
Instructors are saying:
“The students have all overwhelmingly talked about how the design and format of the course
was very instrumental in allowing adequate connections to be made between the background
scientific information and how it relates to the topics covered in A&P.”
“I can always tell from the first day of class which of my students have had the Biology100
course and those that have not, The Bio100 students really do better on all assessments than the
nonBIo100 students. The Bio100 students are better prepared, thinking ahead, making complex
connections in class and asking great application questions. This course has really allowed me to
ask great scenario questions and better prepare my students to enter into their programs. These
Bio100 students really have a professional voice. They come prepared to office hours and class!”
The SFSS portion of this course will be used as long as BIO100 is offered. The supplemental fee that
students pay will begin to pay for the NCRC and Fit and Talent assessments in the fall 2015.
Looking Ahead:
We look forward to more data analysis. If the trends hold, this entire initiative, including the grant-
impacted SFSS, will continue to show increased student success in the A&P course and throughout
students’ programs of study.
 Julianna.Johns@cincinnatistate.edu, 513-569-1599
 Brandon.Montoya@cincinnatistate.edu, 513-569-1666
 Jason.Banks@cincinnatistate.edu
Jefferson Achieves Results for Underprepared Students by Implementing a
Contextualized Developmental Education H2P/AOKY Partnership Pathway
The Challenge:
At Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC, with six campuses in and around Louisville, KY),
many underprepared students who are interested in health care careers are unsuccessful in achieving
their goals because of the lack of perceived relevance of basic skills. Students facing semesters of
developmental work before even beginning to learn health care skills often get discouraged and drop
out of school.

The Solution:
By combining basic academic skills instruction with introductory skills for health careers, students stay
motivated to achieve, as the relevance of learning to their career goals becomes obvious. Allied Health
and Nursing faculty are partnering with Adult Education instructors to offer basic skills development
within the context of the new basic foundations of healthcare core curriculum.
Two grant programs have allowed JCTC and collaborators to offer these powerful new educational
pathways. H2P Consortium as well as the Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky (AOKY) initiative. Partners
include Jefferson County Public Schools Adult Education and Kentucky Career Center. AOKY
contextualizes Adult Basic Education into the classroom to allow students who would otherwise test into
Developmental Education or Adult Basic Education to begin a career pathway while receiving reading
and writing remediation. Per the Accelerating Opportunity Grant, twenty-five percent of the students in
AOKY are pursuing a GED diploma while taking courses in this health care pathway. Students referred
from Adult Education must test at a minimum sixth grade level in Reading and Language.
Students in the AOKY Basic Healthcare Foundations cohort earn 14 credit hours over two semesters.
Students are only enrolled in the courses assigned to this cohort and attend an “AOKY Lab” two hours a
week. This two hours in addition to course work provides the support the students need to remediate
their reading and writing skills. After two semesters, the students earn a Basic Healthcare Foundations
Certificate. This certificate qualifies students for entry level employment in the health care field. Many
students discover that they can be successful in college, and then choose to pursue additional
credentials.
College faculty members team-teach with Adult Basic Education instructors. Reading and Writing
support is contextualized to health care course content. Planning time for all teachers is built in each
week to promote collaboration and continuity.
As a result, students who would have otherwise spent several semesters in developmental education
classes are able to take credit-bearing classes in conjunction with contextualized basic skills classes. This
team-taught approach has not only increased retention in a population that would have otherwise
dropped out, but it has also provided the opportunity for many to gain employment with their basic
certificate while continuing at the college. In 2014, five students gained part-time employment through
a local hospital. During the 2013-14 academic year, three students earned their GED while enrolled. In
the period summer 2013 through the end of 2014, 38 students enrolled; of those, 13 earned certificates.
These numbers alone do not tell the complete story. We have realized that there are many different
definitions of success. Additionally, college advising staff members are becoming better able to serve
students who are not yet ready for a program of study.
Prior to January 1, 2015, during the pilot phase, the college waived tuition for GED-seeking students who
were dually-enrolled. On January 1, 2015, the ability to benefit was reinstated for federal Pell Grant. This
reinstatement allows students pursuing a GED to access Pell grant money for tuition and books if they
are dually-enrolled in Adult Education and the College through a program such as AOKY. The wrap

around/success coach involvement is vital to student success. The AOKY program coordinator will fill the
role as success coach in addition to coordinator duties.
Looking Ahead:
The AOKY partnership has allowed JCTC to develop a recruitment pipeline with Adult Education,
providing students with information that will prepare them for entrance into college and career
pathways. The college plans to continue offering a slightly modified version of this program.
 Dr. Carolyn O’Daniel, Dean of Health Sciences, carolyn.odaniel@kctcs.edu
 Gina Embry, Program Coordinator, AOKY, gina.embry@kctcs.edu
 www.jefferson.kctcs.edu/Workforce_Solutions/AOKY.aspx

Competency-Based Core Curriculum, Promising Practice
for H2P Strategy 3
A core curriculum involves a set of interdisciplinary courses, clinical training and other experiences
designed to provide health professions students with a common set of knowledge, skills, and
competencies necessary to perform effectively in the evolving healthcare workplace. 1
Core curricula in
health professions result from, as well as contribute to ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration, reduction
in costs, and alleviating some of the challenges of faculty shortages.2
All nine colleges participated in the development of a competency based core curriculum based upon a
model developed from the DOL Healthcare Competency Model3
and initially implemented by co-
grantee, El Centro College. The El Centro College subject matter experts assisted each of the eight
additional H2P colleges in educating and preparing their colleges for implementation that was feasible
for their individual colleges and the communities they serve.
Core curriculum was developed within the following framework:
1) Met industry competency requirements,
2) Aligned with industry certifications,
3) Presented consistent content,
4) Contained articulated pathways,
5) Developed with meaningful industry involvement and
6) Addressed the employability and life skills of students needed for workplace success.
Work to develop and implement healthcare core curriculum continues with each of our co-grantees as
they work with their colleges and workforce partners to determine how the National Model can be best
implemented in their respective communities. H2P colleges are also involved in mentorship of additional
community colleges interested in adopting core curriculum.
Minnesota’s Healthcare Core Curriculum (HCCC) Provides a Standardized Health Care
Curriculum for High School and College Students.
The Challenge:
The HCCC was originally developed in the early 2000’s by legislative mandate in Minnesota as a pathway
to health care careers. HCCC was initially adopted by several high schools and colleges throughout
Minnesota, but in recent years, only one was still using the HCCC.
Recent legislative changes provided an impetus to take the HCCC to the next level.
 Minnesota passed “The World’s Best Workforce” bill in 2013 to ensure every school district was
making strides to increase student performance. Each district was required to develop a plan
that addressed five goals. One of them, “All Students Career and College Ready by Graduation,”
clearly aligns with the Healthcare Core Curriculum.

 Each Minnesota secondary school consortium is required to establish programs of study through
collaborative partnerships with industry and including both secondary schools and post-
secondary colleges. The HCCC provides resources for high schools and colleges to work together
within a common framework.
The Solution:
HCCC was designed as a competency-based curriculum, aligned with state and national standards. The
curriculum consists of seven interdisciplinary modules which can be offered in any order (64 total
hours). Modules can be packaged in .5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 credit course(s). The content was written by experts
within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU).
A HCCC Advisory Committee was developed in 2013 to update the original HCCC curriculum. This
committee included representatives from H2P Partners (Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Pine
Technical and Community College), Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of
Health, college faculty, high school faculty, industry partners, and the HealthForce Minnesota Center of
Excellence.
In 2013, the Minnesota HCCC Advisory Committee completed several important milestones. We
updated the curriculum to comply with the National Standards for Healthcare. The curriculum was
cross-walked with the Common Career Technical Core, federal and state requirements including a
pathway to a Nursing Assistant credential (HCCC plus the Nursing Assistant Skills for 2 credits), and HOSA
and SkillsUSA that focuses on building a better workforce. Minnesota has established concurrent and
articulated credit options for students pursuing healthcare careers. For instructors interested in
teaching the HCCC, the committee makes available a seven-module on-line “Educate the Educator”
course, including curriculum materials. Plans are to have this course available nationally by the end of
2015.
In 2014, the HCCC Advisory Council was organized to develop support and to guide the future of the
HCCC. The Advisory Council is comprised of H2P representation, industry partners, HOSA, CTE
leadership, a cultural and diversity representative, college representatives, high school representatives,
Perkins leadership, and representatives from Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota
Department of Health, DEED, HealthForce MN, and Adult Basic Education.
The HCCC Advisory Council collaboratively shares the HCCC message with Minnesota secondary and
post-secondary programs, creating an assessment tool for the MN HCCC, aligning with state projects
including World’s Best Workforce and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs of Study, and
researching and securing ongoing funding.
The HCCC is a model curriculum for high school health career programs that allows students to explore
rapidly changing healthcare careers, offers educational pathways in allied health and nursing assistant
programs, includes education on cultural diversity, mental health, and aging populations, and provides a
sound orientation to the healthcare workplace for English Language Learners, incumbent workers, and
new healthcare employees. The Educate the Educator course prepares technical/community college
faculty, qualified health science career and technical education teachers in high schools, and industry
partners to be HCCC instructors. The HCCC curriculum includes: Behaviors for Success in Healthcare

Settings, Communications in Healthcare Settings, Awareness and Sensitivity to Client Needs, Healthcare
Safety and Standard Precautions, Legal Issues in Healthcare, Healthcare Ethics, and Respecting Client
and Staff Diversity.
Statewide collaboration efforts continue with the HealthForce Minnesota Center of Excellence, the
HCCC Advisory Council, the Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Education, and
the Center for Teaching and Learning within the college system to market, educate and implement and
to share a HCCC model/opportunity on a national level.
Looking Ahead:
As next steps, the HCCC Advisory Council plans to develop an assessment specific to Minnesota, explore
options for a national assessment, and use a survey to learn how many students who take the HCCC in a
high school or college setting actually do end up in health care programs within the college system.
 www.healthforceminnesota.org/hccc-about-the-hccc/
 Jan Pomeroy, H2P Grant Manager, Anoka-Ramsey Community College,
jan.pomeroy@anokaramsey.edu
 Stefanie Schroeder, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development, Pine Technical and
Community College, Schroeders@pine.edu
Two Kentucky Community Colleges Create a Healthcare Core Curriculum to Strengthen
Health Career Education and Create Entry-level Health Care Certificates
The Challenge:
Kentucky employers have identified unmet needs among entry-level health care workers for basic skills
in areas such as teamwork and therapeutic communication. Additionally, there is costly redundancy in
teaching common skills among varying health care programs.
The Solution:
A common core curriculum will address skills and knowledge needed by all health care providers to
provide a solid foundation upon which specific disciplines can build.
Health care employers identified the basic skills and knowledge needed across the board for entry-level
health care workers. Interdisciplinary allied health and nursing program faculty identified common skills
and knowledge across programs which, if completed before entry into the programs, would give
students a strong foundation for successful completion. After workforce needs were identified by
employers, an internal interdisciplinary core curriculum workgroup was formed. This workgroup
developed a core curriculum which is comprised of seven to eight courses. Upon completion of four
courses, students can earn a Basic Healthcare Foundations certificate. After completion of the Basic

certificate and an additional three courses, students earn an Intermediate Healthcare Foundations
certificate. CPR certification and Medicaid Nurse Aide certification are embedded within the certificate
programs. By earning the Healthcare Foundations certificates, students can be employed in healthcare
settings already having a strong foundation in basic healthcare knowledge. In addition, Allied Health and
Nursing programs which have adopted components of the core curriculum into their program
requirements will be able to enroll students with a strong foundation of key basic healthcare knowledge
and skills upon which to build program-specific knowledge.
Students completing the foundational health care certifications are being recruited and/or selected
preferentially for entry-level health care positions. At this time, workforce partners are working to add
the Basic Healthcare Foundations certificate as a preference for hiring into their facilities. In addition,
students entering allied health and nursing programs after core curriculum completion have a stronger
foundation of healthcare knowledge. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these students are having
increased success.
The eight courses and two certificates that make up the core curriculum have been approved for
offering statewide by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Two KCTCS Core
Curriculum Summits were held on a state level to scale the core curriculum offerings to other colleges in
the KCTCS system. In addition, both Jefferson and Ashland Community and Technical Colleges are
serving as mentors to colleges outside the KCTCS system to bring core curriculum to other colleges.
Looking Ahead:
Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC, Louisville, KY) is planning to offer the two new basic
healthcare certificates statewide and completely online through KCTCS Learn-on-Demand. JCTC and
Ashland Community and Technical College will also continue to work with local employers to provide
responsive programming to meet workforce needs.
 Dr. Carolyn O’Daniel, Project Director, H2P Jefferson, Dean of Allied Health & Nursing,
Carolyn.odaniel@kctcs,edu
 Sonia Rudolph, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, Associate Project Director, H2P Jefferson, Nursing Division
Chair, Sonia.rudolph@kctcs.edu
 Eva Oltman, Associate Project Director, H2P Jefferson, Allied Health Division Chair,
Eva.oltman@kctcs.edu
 Dr. Janie Kitchen, PI, H2P Ashland, Dean of Academic Affairs, Janie.kitchen@kctcs.edu
 Nikki Bryant, MS, Project Director, H2P Ashland, Nikki.bryant@kctcs.edu
 Michelle Napier, MSN, Chair, Health Sciences-Ashland, Michelle.napier@kctcs.edu

Industry-Recognized Stackable Credentials, Promising
Stackable credentials were built into the programs of study for most of the H2P curricula. Stackable
credentials help participants accelerate their time to completion and into the labor market. By
providing an entry level certificate (i.e.: Nurse Aide Training), a student can enter the job market to
mitigate financial issues and often access employer benefits such as tuition reimbursement while they
are pursuing advanced certificates or degrees.4
Employers were very involved in the identification of
credentials needed by industry and the best way to stack them for efficiency and employability.
El Centro College Develops Stackable Credential Programs through Community-Based
Partnerships
The Challenge:
Sharing Life Community Outreach Inc. (SLCO) is a 501(c) non-profit organization based in Mesquite, TX.
SLCO’s primary goal is to assist individuals and families who need help obtaining the basic necessities of
life. This community-based organization offers a food pantry, a clothes closet, holiday programs, and
utility assistance for those who are subject to disconnection of water, gas, or electrical services.
About four years ago, growing educational programs for clients became part of SLCO’s strategic plan. It's
extremely important to them to give their clients not only assistance with basic life needs, but to give
them means to be able to provide for themselves eventually; education is the key component to
accomplish that.
Unemployment statistics around SLCO’s service area indicated opportunities for certified nursing
assistants (CNAs). Since the area around SLCO, Mesquite and Southeast Dallas County, did not offer any
CNA training programs, it became an opportune time to establish a collaborative initiative that would
benefit both institutions.
The Solution:
The H2P grant provided an opportunity for SLCO and El Centro College (ECC, in Dallas, TX) to collaborate.
The partnership enabled SLCO clients, now H2P participants, to earn a stackable credential with value to
employers in the healthcare industry, such the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), CPR
certification, and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
Julie Harryman was both an Associate Instructional Dean at El Centro College, and a passionate and
active member of the board of directors with Sharing Life Community Outreach. As a leader in both
organizations, Julie was in a unique position to initiate and drive a substantial partnership that meets
the needs of both institutions, inspired and informed by others in the H2P consortium.
Sharing Life is my heart and passion; I wanted to be part of their leadership because I believed so
strongly in their mission which is "demonstrating compassion to those in need in Mesquite and

Southeast Dallas County". I felt like I had something to offer on their board because of my
experience on committees and boards with El Centro College.
SLCO renovated space to create a new classroom where H2P-funded faculty offered CNA training and
staff provided support to program participants. The classroom was transformed into a simulated lab
where donated hospital beds and grant-funded training supplies created a hands-on learning
environment.
Additional H2P funding provided everything we needed. Classroom supplies included books for
reference library, laptop computers for instruction, a projector for lectures and presentations. Support
staff transported participants to ECC for orientation, campus tours and to obtain student identifications.
Clinical supplies and storage units enhance instruction and training. ACT WorkKeys Assessment is
available, with the opportunity for participants to earn the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
If needed, participants can use the ACT Key Train interactive training system. Faculty and support staff
are available for CPR, CNA, and supplemental instruction and training. The grant also funded
professional development for faculty and support staff.
Of the 65 H2P participants at SLCO (four cohorts), 23 participants earned a Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA)
credential which includes 68 hours of classroom instruction and 40 clinical hours at our partner clinical
sites. Five participants earned both the Certified Nurse’s Aide & Certified Phlebotomy Technician which
includes 120 contact clinical hours to practice and demonstrate proficiency in the skills of venipuncture
and capillary puncture.
As part of our continuous improvement model for our H2P strategies, student outcomes from the first
cohort provided key data that would highlight the critical barriers that hindered student success for our
participants. The most common student barriers included transportation, family obligations, health
issues, and employment needs.
Some of the program changes that were implemented as a result include:
 ECC has expanded stackable credentials that it offers at SLCO ECC is enhancing the career
pathway for the CNA training program by providing EKG and Phlebotomy that leads toward an
industry recognized credential as a Patient Care Technician.
 ECC continues to provide staff at SLCO to assist with student support service for participants.
 In addition, Sharing Life Community Outreach has integrated nutrition education and meal
planning that will help students eat healthier and save money.
El Centro College and Sharing Life Community Outreach have received a new grant from United Way to
continue the work started with the H2P grant. The United Pathways program will continue training
students for the nurse aide credential. In addition, the program is providing stackable credential training
with EKG and Phlebotomy. This will give all H2P graduates an opportunity to continue their education
with additional training for credentials that will increase their earning potential. This is a two-year grant,
through 8/2016. In addition, SLCO has integrated nutrition education and meal planning that will help
students eat healthier and save money. The programs’ momentum speaks volumes about the

commitment from both ECC and SLCO to serve the local community by providing educational pathways
in healthcare careers.
 David Barrientos, Resource & Community Development, El Centro College, H2P Grant Manager,
dbarrientos@dcccd.edu, ecch2p@dcccd.edu
 www.elcentrocollege.edu/programs/health-professions-pathway-grant
 www.sharinglifeoutreach.org
 www.sharinglifeoutreach.org/el-centro-nurse-aide-program.htm
Jefferson Partners with Local Employers to Improve Practice and Advance Careers
The Challenge:
A few years ago, Norton Healthcare expanded its scope to include physician practices as part of a
strategy to improve office efficiency. At that time, leaders determined that currently employed medical
assistants needed to become credentialed in order to function at the top of their scope of practice.
Existing medical assistant programs in the area lacked a degree completion level, and were only offered
during the day when those currently employed were unavailable. Further, employers were often
competing for scarce personnel resources with needed skill sets.
The Solution:
Norton decided to invest in a cohort of promising current employees at physician offices. Norton agreed
to cover all costs for them to pursue a medical assistant program – a “grow-your-own” strategy. Through
the H2P initiative, Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC, with six campuses in and around
Louisville, KY) was able to develop an evening and weekend medical assisting program specifically
designed and paced for this group of working students. H2P work also led to conversations among
employers about better ways of planning and possible additional venues for collaboration.
By offering an evening and weekend medical assisting program, with credit for prior learning and
stackable credentials, paced for the working student, employer and employee educational needs could
be better met. Through this “grow-your-own” model, Norton was able to support employee
advancement, elevate their level of practice by creating more efficient physician office practices, and
raising employee satisfaction and earning potential. Training these employees has increased the pool of
qualified candidates for these positions, decreasing competition among employers. Discussions about
common workforce concerns led Louisville employers to embrace the concept of forming a collaborative
to develop community-wide solutions.
With the success of the first “grow-your-own” medical assisting cohort, Norton immediately worked
with JCTC to support a second cohort which is scheduled to finish in June 2015. Through this and other

H2P work, the community has embraced a collaborative model for projecting, planning and meeting
emerging workforce needs. The Health Career Collaborative of Greater Louisville is now supporting
establishment of a Health Career One-Stop through an Advisory Committee for Collaborative member,
KentuckianaWorks.
The grow-your-own model has proven successful, as demonstrated by subsequent “grow-your-own”
programs. The Health Career Collaborative has formalized the organization with a signed memorandum
of agreement, and is currently chaired by Norton’s Director of Talent Acquisition, Jackie Beard, and vice-
chaired by Todd Schmiedeler of Trilogy Health.
Looking Ahead:
The successful grow-your-own model will be replicated as need is identified. The Collaborative is
planning for a press conference to announce the new Health Career One-Stop and the formation of the
Health Career Collaborative. Subcommittees have been formed to address issues of common concern
to Collaborative members. Quarterly meetings of the full Collaborative are hosted by the Kentucky
Hospital Association.
 Jackie Beard, jackie.beard@nortonhealthcare.org
 Todd Schmiedeler, Todd.Schmiedeler@trilogyhs.com
 Dr. Carolyn O’Daniel, carolyn.odaniel@kctcs.edu

Career Guidance and Retention Support, Promising
In the H2P model, enhanced retention involves “proactive” or “intrusive” advising that goes beyond
traditional advising. Intrusive advising can improve retention rates and increase number of credit hours
completed, GPA demonstrated by students, and use of study skills, time management strategies, and
classroom attendance.5
Each of the co-grantees provided a minimum of one FTE assigned to work with
the H2P participants. Advisors were responsible for guiding students through career exploration and
affirmation, assessment, career readiness preparation as well as coaching them through the entire
pathway process to job attainment. Thoughtful career planning has been successfully correlated with
positively influencing credit attainment and graduation6
. These advisors, or “success coaches”, also
formed a very interactive community of practice that met monthly via conference call to share best
practices and also at face-to-face meetings to present and share their collective learning. We strongly
feel that the success coaches were very instrumental in the phenomenal retention and completion rate
of program participants.
Cincinnati State Incorporates Social Media Utilizing Facebook for Student Outreach
The Challenge:
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC, in Cincinnati, OH) could not always reach
students via phone and email. We could see a potential opportunity to serve a whole new population of
students by reaching out to them through newer channels. Using phone and email to connect with
students was time-consuming and not as effective as we would have liked. Maintaining current phone
and email addresses was cumbersome, but students’ Facebook accounts did not often change.
Maintaining a current, efficient method of contacting students was a challenge.
The Solution:
Pathways to Employment Center (PTEC) created a social media Facebook page that is separate from the
college’s Facebook page. Staff attended a training to get up to speed on using Facebook
(www.bootcampdigital.com). Students use PTEC’s Facebook page to find information specific to PTEC,
such as job/ employer fairs, job openings, and other events that are going on at both the main campus
and PTEC. We are able to include events within the community and through community service
providers that can assist the students with resources in the area. We can stay connected with students
and even send them direct messages within Facebook with specific questions. They can also use
Facebook to send us questions. This Facebook page is an extension of Cincinnati State and PTEC. It is an
easy way to share updates and more with the people that matter most, that they can access using both
desktop and mobile devices.
We make sure we have compelling and fresh information on the page. We incorporate updates, post
photos of events in real-time, and share job postings. We share information that can inspire and help
point students in the right direction. We created “Like us on Facebook” business cards with the QR code

that students can scan directly with their phones. We also have links to our Facebook page in our email
signatures. With our Facebook page we are able to:
 Be authentic: Share what we are genuinely excited about to our participants. This can be a job
posting or a highlight of upcoming events.
 Be responsive: When people comment on our posts we can show them that PTEC is listening
and being responsive. If we need more time to answer a question, we let them know we are
looking into it.
 Be consistent: We post regularly, so that we have the opportunity to connect with people and
build trust. Postings happen regularly, so students will revisit the page.
 Do what works: We can replicate our success on posts that get more engagement and buy-in
from participants.
 Grow successful posts into successful promotions: When people like, comment on or share our
posts, their friends are also eligible to see those posts in News Feed.
The Results:
PTEC’s Facebook Page allows us to be:
 Discoverable: When people search for CSTCC or PTEC on Facebook, they find us.
 Connected: Have one-on-one conversations with our students/ participants, who can like our
page, read our posts and share them with friends, and check in when they visit.
 Timely: Our page helps us reach large groups of people frequently, with messages tailored to
their needs and topics that are specific to PTEC.
 Insightful: Analytics on our page give us a deeper understanding of our participants and our
marketing activities.
Looking Ahead:
PTEC plans to continue this form of communication to keep participants up-to-date on upcoming events
and stay connected to them. CSTCC plans to incorporate PTEC services into other areas of the college
and expand the reach of our Facebook page in the future.
 PTEC on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CStatePTEC?fref=ts
 Regina Livers, PTEC Director, CSTCC, regina.livers@cincinnatistate.edu

City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College Improves Retention and Completion through
Intrusive Advising
The Challenge and Solution:
The H2P Program at City Colleges of Chicago (Malcolm X College in Chicago, IL) assists students
throughout their academic career. H2P completion advisors utilize a strategy of intrusive advising to
support students in successfully navigating their programs and obtaining soft skills that lead to gainful
employment. Efforts of H2P advisors include frequent 1:1 meetings and phone conversations with
students to enroll them in courses, and helping with academic planning and outlining through the use of
the college’s new GPS Maps website. Other advising activities that are part of the new model include
classroom visits to answer questions about upcoming courses, promoting internship opportunities, and
supporting students on-site at clinical sites.
The Results:
As a result of H2P’s intrusive advising initiative, a positive correlation has been identified between new
advising strategies and retention and completion rates among H2P participants. Before H2P, the
retention rate for EMT-BC was 68.2%, with a graduation rate of 78.9%. After the intrusive advising was
implemented, the retention rate increased to 83.7%, and the graduation rate increased to 88.1%. After
an analysis of the prerequisite course, ENTRE 201, the retention rate was 73.7%, and the completion
rate was 68.9% originally. After implementing intrusive advising methods the retention rate increased to
89.7% and the completion rate increased to 76.5%. Retention and completion rates also increased for
the new enhanced and extended developmental courses ESSS and HEAPRO. The retention rate
increased from 69.2% to 97.7% with an increased completion rate from 69.2% to 86.7% in ESSS. For
healthcare common core courses (HEAPRO 101 and 102), the retention rate increased from 65.8% to
82.1% and the completion rate increased from 60.2% to 75.2%.
Sustainability:
These changes reflect the positive impact of intrusive advising and ongoing efforts to assist students as
they successfully complete their designated program of study. As a result, the college has dedicated
more advisors to reduce the caseload, so that the general college advisors can implement this strategy.
 H2P Project at City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College, www.ccc.edu/colleges/malcolm-
x/departments/Pages/H2P-Professional-Pathways.aspx
 Roy Walker, H2P Project Executive Director, City Colleges of Chicago, rwalker59@ccc.edu

Owens Implements a Comprehensive Holistic Advising and Retention Model
The Challenge:
The vast majority of students in the School of Nursing and Health Professions at Owens Community
College (“Owens”, in Findlay and Toledo, OH) were in the pre-health majors waiting for acceptance into
their desired major. Some of those students were highly unlikely (based on past stats for the College) to
complete the program due to low grades, test scores, too many developmental courses
required, unrealistic understanding of the profession, and the amount of time it would take for them to
complete the entire program. Some of those students did not know the career options available to them
for health care professions or other professions if they were not accepted into a health care
program. Retention of those students that were in limbo prior to their enrollment in their desired major
was a problem also. The grant was an opportunity to do some intensive advising so once someone
received a seat in the program, they were ready to go and would stick with the program through
completion.
While Owens had a program of “Success Mentors” in place to support high-risk students with
academics, many students struggled with non-academic issues which this program did not address.
The Solution:
All H2P participants are served by the same Retention Advisor before, during, and after enrollment at
the college. Retention, as explained in the grant guidelines, emphasizes the need to retain and provide
supportive services to participants enrolled in the grant, not only with training but also with
employment. This can be broken down into three stages: pre-enrollment, enrollment, and post-
enrollment.
Pre-enrollment: The H2P Retention Advisor assists participants with career exploration based on
personal interests, previous skills, assessment results, and training availability. Owens’ H2P program
provides expert career exploration, utilizing labor market information, assessments, and online tools to
ensure participants are in a program for a career that matches them.
Enrollment: Once enrolled, the focus shifts to supporting students so that they succeed in classes and
complete their program of study. The Retention Advisor works directly with the participant to address
any issues that may interfere with successful obtainment of a career goal. Work begins on financial
literacy, developing a resume, and discussing expectations employers have regarding their employees.
Post-enrollment: The across-the-board assistance does not stop once a participant has completed a
training program. Employment, future career goals and pathways are discussed in detail. Through
continuing individual contact, H2P program staff ensure that participants have the tools they need to be
successful in a work environment. This H2P-sponsored employment support became especially critical
after the college eliminated its Career Services Offices in the summer of 2013.
Due to the proactive approach in place, the overall retention rate among H2P participants has
consistently been higher than for other students. Three hundred seven (307) out of the five hundred
fifty six (556) H2P participants (55%) completed a certificate and/or a degree while involved in the H2P

program. The retention results have been realized through extensive interactions between the H2P
Retention Advisor and program participants.
All interactions with students were documented for the program and are listed below.
Retention H2P College
Fall 2011 to Spring 2012 96.43% 70.8%
Spring 2012 to Fall 2012 93.14% 57.8%
Fall 2012 to Spring 2013 89.92% 73.3%
Spring 2013 to Fall 2013 80.32% 55.6%
Fall 2013 to Spring 2014 88.24% 72.7%
Spring 2014 to Fall 2014 62.53% 54.7%
Retention Advisor Contacts
Enhanced Retention Support including email messages, group and individual meetings, phone
contact and mailings:
16048
Online Assessment & Career Guidance including email messages, group and individual
meetings, phone contact and use of VCN.org:
771
Financial Literacy including email messages, individual meetings, phone contact and mailings: 1652
Employment including email messages, group and individual meetings, and phone and other
contact:
264
Grand Total 18,735 Contacts
Through positive relationships with participants, faculty working with the H2P program identified a need
for increased financial literacy. The student loan default rate has escalated at the national level, as well
as at the college, including the H2P participants. In the early stages of implementation, the program is
seeing success and interest in possible expansion on campus. At the time of this writing, the H2P
program has established a part-time office in the College’s Student Services area to engage students to
become involved in the Financial Literacy Program prior to leaving college. It is currently offered as a
walk-in program offered one day each week.
Looking Ahead:
As we continue to gather data and review the impact of the grant, we hope this holistic approach to
student interactions will be utilized in the future at Owens Community College.
 www.owens.edu/h2p/ (Owens Community College Health Professions – H2P)
 www.vcn.org (Department of Labor Virtual Career Network)
 www.owens.edu/testing/act.html (Owens ACT Testing)
 www.owens.edu/h2p/credit-knowledge.pdf (H2P Financial Literacy & Credit Knowledge)

 Mary Beth McCreery, MEd, MLS, H2P Project Director, School of Nursing and Health Professions,
Owens Community College, Toledo, Ohio, (567) 661-2814, marybeth_mccreery@owens.edu,
mbmccreery@hotmail.com
Related topics or projects
 www.nacada.ksu.edu/ (NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising)
 www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse.aspx (NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic
Advising Resources)
 www2.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/defaultmanagement/cdr.html (Federal Study Aid: Three-year
Official Cohort Default Rates for Schools)

Training Programs for Incumbent Healthcare Workers,
Promising Practices for H2P Strategy 6
All H2P colleges worked with their local workforce to identify training needs and opportunities for their
employees. Such collaboration can be an effective approach for addressing critical staff shortages7
,
increasing employee job satisfaction and retention rates8
, and improving quality of care9
. In some cases
these programs were developed to include new credentials and offered as a cohort for employees of a
specific healthcare employer. In other cases, incumbent workers were identified who desired
advancement opportunities for high demand jobs and became part of a traditional cohort at the college.
In each case, the incumbent worker was provided support by their employer with the anticipation of
increased job skills and often promotion upon completion.
A partnership was established with the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB). NAWB
provided great value to the Consortium with the following activities:
 Collaborated with H2P to serve as a technical advisor on the workforce system,
 Developed and conducted a technical assistance (TA) webinar on “Improving Use of Labor
Market Information (LMI) for the Health Professions”
 Co-sponsored a workshop entitled “Building a Resilient Healthcare Workforce by Creating and
Enhancing Workforce System-Community College Strategic Partnerships” prior to the 2014
NAWB Annual Conference
 Participated fully in the H2P National Advisory Council and other H2P Consortium-wide
convenings.
This partnership assisted the nine co-grantees and an additional six community colleges who also
participated in establishing better working relationships with their local Workforce Boards as they
deliver quality programs that meet local economic development needs.
El Centro Enhances Career Pathways through Hospital Partnerships
The Challenge:
At El Centro College (ECC, in Dallas, TX), the challenge with the startup of the H2P grant in 2012 was to
continue to engage our hospital partners without overwhelming them with new requests or activities. A
well-coordinated balance would be necessary to ensure our hospital partners were engaged and
involved with our H2P initiatives at a pace that worked for them.
Partners included the “Grow your own” programs at Hospital Corporation American, Methodist Health
System, and Texas Health Resources. Other partners are Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center (LVN-RN
bridge program), Baylor Health System (Radiology), and Children’s Medical Center (Community
Healthcare worker).

The Solution:
ECC developed an advisory council, comprised of hospital administrators, where program and college
updates could be shared. The advisory council meetings created a convenient time and place to sustain
connections with ECC and where information could be disseminated on a regular basis.
The continued collaboration with our hospital partners through our advisory council enabled many of
them to further support the H2P program and ECC Allied Health by participating in several national
advisory meetings (National Association of Workforce Boards), and panel discussions sponsored by H2P
and NN2 (National Network of Health Career Programs in Two-Year Colleges).
In addition, many of our hospital partners attended and presented at the H2P Statewide Health Forum
that was convened on February 28th, 2014. The forum promoted the concepts of core curriculum and
several other H2P promising practices. Over 30 attendees represented community colleges from across
the state, local hospital partners, and both the Dallas and Garland Independent School Districts.
All partnerships with hospitals will continue and the advisory council will also carry over after the
conclusion of the H2P grant. A fall semester advisory council is scheduled to discuss new program
updates and initiatives within ECC and Dallas County.
 David Barrientos, Resource and Community Development, El Centro College, H2P Grant
Manager, dbarrientos@dcccd.edu, ecch2p@dcccd.edu
 www.elcentrocollege.edu/programs/health-professions-pathway-grant
Pine Tech and Healthcare Alliance Collaborate to Meet the Region’s Health Care
Workforce Needs
The Challenge:
Before the award of H2P, workforce projections for the nine-county service area for Pine Technical and
Community College (PTCC, in Pine City, MN) showed an escalating number of retirees, a growing
demand for health care, fewer workers in the pipeline, an incumbent worker skills gap, and climbing
unemployment rates. The college could not ignore the looming significant negative impacts of these
trends within the healthcare industry then and in the coming years.
The Solution:
To solve these projected challenges, PTCC formed the Healthcare Alliance in 2007. In a proactive
attempt to ameliorate the convergence of the aforementioned challenges, PTCC partnered with area

secondary schools, the workforce development center system, and providers of higher education as well
as healthcare and mental health services.
The Healthcare Alliance established a mission and vision plus a good foundation of core goals. The H2P
grant provided the resources, structures, and strategies to achieve our vision.
The Healthcare Alliance is a vibrant partnership striving to ensure there are sufficient qualified
professionals to meet the future mental health and healthcare needs of east central Minnesota and
western Wisconsin. The partners work together to build a strong, qualified workforce with opportunities
for professional growth. Goals of the Alliance include meeting needs of consumers of health care along
with workers in the industry.
The Healthcare Alliance’s members play an active role meeting our mission, and they also serve as our
H2P grant advisory council. They provide essential, real time knowledge about the conditions of our
healthcare workforce. We delve deeply into our local, regional and statewide labor market information
to guide our decision-making. Our members were actively involved in reviewing and assessing the H2P
programs of study and related curricula, as well as the Health Care Core Curriculum. Partner
involvement was essential to PTCC’s successful affirmation of accreditation in our Medical Assistant
program. Employer partners host internships, externships, clinical rotations, and job fairs. They
encourage their incumbent workers to take advantage of career advancement opportunities—stacked
and latticed credentials—through H2P. They supported their workforces’ educational advancement
through scholarships and tuition reimbursement benefits and flexible schedules. Our partners hire our
graduates.
Members of the Healthcare Alliance share a role as a convener. The group has hosted mental health
care workforce summits and Rural Health Care Workforce Roundtable (on behalf of Senator Franken) in
the past year.
Since 2010, this group has raised nearly seven million dollars to support our strategic goals.
As a result of the quarterly convening, members have worked collaboratively to solve worker shortages
and skills gaps, expand nursing and health science higher education offerings, enhance the employability
of our graduates, and partner on numerous projects beyond the scope of H2P.
The Healthcare Alliance has existed since 2007 largely due to PTCC’s and our members’ commitment to
drive innovation and change in our region and beyond. We were committed to this work prior to
federal funding and remain steadfast in our comment to working together to ensure we have enough
qualified healthcare professionals to meet the needs in our region.
 www.healthcare-alliance.org
 Stefanie Schroeder, Pine Technical and Community College, Dean of Workforce and Economic
Development, schroeders@pine.edu

Enhanced Data and Accountability Systems, Promising
Practice for H2P Strategy 7
Data collection and management for community colleges has always been a challenge and this was true
for our co-grantees. Many had little or no experience with the type of data collection, management and
evaluation that was required for the TAACCCT grants. All 9 H2P colleges had a data manager assigned to
the grant. Data protocols were established by the National Office in conjunction with the H2P evaluator,
Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) as well as the co-grantees. A consistent
methodology to collecting and analyzing data was established with an OCCRL data expert assigned to
coordinate this process. All data was uploaded to a central site at OCCRL and analyzed both quarterly
and annually and then shared with National Office and co-grantees for review and relevance. Any
anomalies identified were carefully reviewed and addressed as appropriate. All nine co-grantees were
able to establish UI Wage agreements with their state agencies. These data pulls were coordinated by
OCCRL. The learning that has occurred as a result of H2P’s focus on enhanced data and accountability
systems has been enlightening to all and plans to sustain this work is underway with the individual
colleges.
Cincinnati State Aligns Data Reporting with Institutional Research Standards
The Challenge:
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC, in Cincinnati, OH) did not have an integrated
system to track students’ progress from enrollment in a program of study through completion and
ultimately placement into employment.
The grant required H2P to track and integrate data for all stages of the student lifecycle, for all nine
partners. The data needed to be integrated on multiple levels. Each institution needed to develop one
tracking system that could track its participants all the way from pre-enrollment (employment status,
TAA eligibility); through the program of study and graduation; and extending to employment. Further,
each college was required to integrate data with its state unemployment insurance system; since the
nine co-grantees were spread across five different states, this integration took a substantial amount of
work.
At another level, of course, we needed to report on the collective results of the nine-member
consortium as a whole. This requirement dictated that we settle on one data tracking system across all
co-grantees; that we clearly establish definitions and data protocols; and that we follow them uniformly
and consistently.
The Solution:
CSTCC implemented a reporting system and data protocols to track and measure progress.
In order to address this challenge, the H2P Consortium set up a system with integrated data collection,
involved institutional research departments, and created a “data manager” position for each co-grantee.

The consortium implemented Blumen as the core data tracking system for all co-grantees. Blumen is a
low-cost system with robust reporting tools, used by TRIO programs throughout the country. Cincinnati
State took the lead in customizing Blumen to meet the needs of the grant for the H2P program at its
own college. The CSTCC data manager then delivered on-site training for each of the other co-grantees.
At these trainings, the co-grantees learned hands-on how to utilize Blumen for H2P tracking and
customized reporting. Blumen had the ability to connect to each college’s student information system
to retrieve academic information. The data managers at each co-grantee college used monthly
conference calls and an online collaboration system to discuss data protocols and outcomes and keep
their work coordinated and consistent across the consortium.
H2P’s third party evaluator, the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) worked
with the H2P National Office to develop a standardized reporting structure. On a quarterly basis, several
things happened: Data managers uploaded participant information to OCCRL. OCCRL, the H2P National
Office, and co-grantees discussed data outcomes and reconciled any data discrepancies, noting areas
needing improvement in subsequent cycles. Lastly, OCCRL and the National Office created scorecards
that provided an at-a-glance picture of outcomes and progress on the H2P strategies.
Specifically at CSTCC, the data manager position reported to the college’s Senior Director of Institutional
Research and Effectiveness (IR&E), to align grant reporting with college IR standards. CSTCC’s Office of
Institutional Research and Effectiveness provided resource support and assigned a grant backup for the
data manager; these two people worked closely together to understand and report participant data and
grant outcome measurements.
The Results:
CSTCC has utilized data to sustain services, improve college processes, and secure additional funding.
 CSTCC grant staff utilized Blumen to track student services provided to participants and provide
a comprehensive case management approach to serving students.
 Implementing a robust data tracking system has allowed CSTCC to report H2P outcomes to
college leaders, external stakeholders, and employers. As a result, CSTCC has sustained various
H2P services at the college; the college has also been awarded three additional TAACCCT grants
to leverage the work of H2P into other industries (advanced manufacturing and supply
chain/logistics).
 CSTCC grant staff has partnered with the college’s cooperative education program to implement
a new case management system that focuses on student service and employment tracking,
serving both co-op placements and post-graduation placements. This system will be utilized
campus-wide and sustained as a college financial investment.
Sustainability:
H2P staff worked to integrate grant strategies into college services.
Scorecards and quarterly data reports demonstrate the effectiveness of many H2P interventions at
CSTCC. As a result, the college continues to assess the effectiveness of PTEC and is considering
expanding several H2P strategies across the college, including career assessment, pre-COMPASS boot
camps, and employment placement services as a sustainability effort for PTEC. Recently, CSTCC was
required to submit a college completion plan to the Ohio Board of Regents detailing how the college will

support students and achieve its completion goals; these H2P strategies are key elements of that plan.
PTEC is included as a strategic stakeholder for planning and implementing career services for the overall
college. This opportunity will build up the goal to sustain PTEC services and increase our reach to other
students.
 PTEC on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CStatePTEC?fref=ts
 LeeAnn Perkins, Data Manager, PTEC, CSTCC, leeann.perkins@cincinnatistate.edu

Galvanize a National Movement: “Achieving a National
Consensus on Core Curricula in the Health Professions,”
Promising Practice for H2P Strategy 8
While all of the previous strategies have been focused on local activities and innovation to improve
health care education and training outcomes for their individual colleges, H2P recognized that national
efforts are critical to our project’s overall impact. Affecting greater impact requires coming to
consensus with key stakeholders on a national common core curriculum for the health professions and
the exploration of a national certification. The Consortium implemented three sub-strategies to
facilitate the successful implementation and sustainability of this movement.
1) Intensive strategic planning process with consortium members to develop and
implement their core curriculum and framework, documenting the process map and key
challenges.
Each co-grantee was charged to develop at a minimum of one core curriculum course that was based
upon the DOL Allied Health Competency Model (2011). El Centro College subject matter experts served
as technical advisors to the process and held two-day workshops at each of the eight colleges for faculty
and administration. The workshops included a process to explore why core curriculum was needed and
the advantages and challenges of implementation for their college community. Each college
subsequently developed an action plan for core curriculum development and implementation within
this framework. A Community of Practice (COP) for Core Curriculum was established with monthly
conference calls to track progress, challenges and successes. The Core Curriculum COP met two times
face-to-face and at each of the three annual H2P meetings. They presented at each of the meetings and
continue to provide support for each other.
A significant component of the strategic planning process was to develop an infrastructure to validate
core curriculum and to identify and secure key partnerships with a complementary agenda. The first
year was devoted to developing a prospectus and recruiting stakeholder leaders for a national advisory
council. Twenty-five members included CEO’s and decision-makers representing colleges, health care
industry, foundations, national boards, accreditors, and other significant stakeholders. This esteemed
group agreed to participate and met four times to assist in the validation of the model for national core
curriculum. They met at their own expense and were highly committed to the project.
2) A two-day Summit on Competency-Based Core Curriculum was successfully
implemented May 27-28, 2014 in Minneapolis, MN for 150 stakeholders including the
nine co-grantees, 26 newly-committed colleges, 12 secondary career-tech educators,
and numerous employers, funders, and national scaling partners.
This highly charged and action-oriented convening resulted in plans for implementation and a
commitment to the national core curriculum movement. The new college adoptees participated in two
pre-webinars and extensive college assessment prior to the convening. They also committed to
participating in the Core Curriculum COP and to attend at their own expense a Core Curriculum Institute
contiguous to the NN2 meeting the following year.

3) Develop and implement a plan to scale a National Competency-Based Core Curriculum.
H2P was fortunate to participate in three initiatives that greatly impacted the implementation of a
scaling plan:
H2P was invited as one of eight TAACCCT round one grantees to participate in the Community College
Transformative Change Initiative (TCI). Starting in year two of our grant cycle, a team of five H2P leaders
representing colleges and workforce met several times to develop a Scaling Plan for our core curriculum
movement. This plan was accepted and presented in year two to the TCI group. This plan serves as the
foundation of work that we are currently implementing.
Also in year two, H2P was invited to submit a commitment for scaling to the Clinton Global Initiative. It
was accepted and served to complement the TCI Scaling Plan. H2P has had the opportunity to network
with potential partners and funders at CGI meetings and is currently looking for support of our
expanded initiative with two additional National Scaling Partners, National Network for Health Career
Programs in Two Year Colleges (NN2) and the Health Professions Network (HPN).
H2P is currently working in collaboration with TAACCCT round three recipient Los Angeles Trade
Technical College (LATTC) and their nine college partners to serve as a provider of technical assistance as
they implement a core curriculum and to partner in scaling the national core curriculum movement.
Institutes for the Los Angeles area, the California region and national adoptees are being planned for
2015-2017.
HPN, NN2 and H2P are working to update the DOL National Model for Competency Based Core
Curriculum that serves as the foundation for our work. Strong ties and commitments have been
established to carry this movement into the future.
 www.h2p.careers
 www.healthforceminnesota.org/hccc-about-the-hccc/
 www.nn2.org
 www.healthpronet.org
 Marianne Krismer, Ed.D., H2P Consortium Director,
mkrismer61@gmail.com
 Allied Health Competency Model,
http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/competency-models/allied-health.aspx

Footnotes
1
Pew Health Professions Commission. The Future of Allied Health: Perspectives from the Field. San
Francisco: Center for the Health Professions, University of California-San Francisco; 1995.
2
McPherson ML. Allied health core curriculum: Its time has come. Community College Journal, 2004.
3
Department of Labor Health Competency Model. Department of Labor, 2011.
4
Wheary, J. and V. Orozco. 2010. Graduated Success: Sustainable Economic Opportunity Through One-
and Two-Year Credentials. Demos, New York, N.Y.
5
Glennen RE. Obtaining presidential support for advising. In RE Glennen, FN Vowell (Eds.), Academic
advising as a comprehensive campus process, (Monograph No. 2, pp. 11-14). Manhattan, KS: National
Academic Advising Association; 1995.
6
Tatham P. Using career development services to strengthen student retention and attainment. Career
Industry Council of Australia, 1 January 2009. Web. 4 April 2011.
7
Extended Care Career Ladder Initiative. Growing your own nurses: Building a culture of learning
through effective partnerships, educational programs and career counseling. Worcester, MA: Author;
2005. Available: worksourcepartners.sharepointspace.com/pdfs/eccli-Intercare.pdf.
8
Spetz J, Adams S. How Can Employment-Based Benefits Help The Nurse Shortage: Health Affairs, 2006;
25:212-218.
9
Morgan JC, Konrad TR. A Mixed-Method Evaluation of a Workforce Development Intervention for
Nursing Assistants in Nursing Homes: The Case of WIN A STEP UP. The Gerontologist, 2008;48 (suppl 1):
71-79.

Index
Accelerating Opportunity Kentucky.................15
ACT...............................................................6, 12
Anoka-Ramsey Community College.........1, 8, 18
Ashland Community and Technical College..1, 3,
20
Certified Nursing Assistant...............................21
Cincinnati State Technical and Community
College......................................1, 6, 12, 25, 34
City Colleges of Chicago...............................1, 27
Clinton Global Initiative ...................................38
Community College Transformative Change
Initiative .......................................................38
Competency-Based Core Curriculum.........37, 38
Contextualized Development Education .........12
Core Curriculum.........................................17, 19
El Centro College..............................1, 21, 31, 37
Health Professions Network ............................38
Jefferson Community and Technical College....1,
14, 20, 23
Los Angeles Trade Technical College ...............38
Malcolm X College...See City Colleges of Chicago
National Career Readiness Certificate ...6, 12, 21
National Network for Health Career Programs in
Two Year Colleges........................................38
NCRC . See National Career Readiness Certificate
NN2......See National Network for Health Career
Programs in Two Year Colleges
OCCRL .............See Office of Community College
Research and Leadership
Office of Community College Research and
Leadership .....................................................1
Owens Community College .........................1, 28
Pine Technical and Community College ... 1, 5, 6,
18, 19, 32, 33
Prior Learning Assessment ..........................8, 10
CPL .................................................................8
Credit for Prior Learning................................8
PLA...........................................................8, 10
Sharing Life Community Outreach...................21
Stackable Credentials .............................. 2, 5, 21
Texarkana College..........................................1, 9
Virtual Career Network........................ 1, 3, 5, 29
VCN ................................................................5
WorkKeys...........................................................7

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