No Shortage of Care
Communities across the commonwealth and nationwide are grappling with healthcare workforce shortages. Meanwhile, demand for primary and specialty care is increasing as the population ages and medical advancements continually extend expected health spans and life expectancy. UVA Health has prioritized addressing this shortage in its 2022-2032 strategic plan to “cultivate healthy communities and belonging for all.” The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation (CMCF) is a vital partner in these efforts.
CMCF is a private Virginia philanthropy established in 1987 by Claude Moore, MD, a successful physician, real estate investor, and 1916 graduate of UVA School of Medicine. The school’s Health Sciences Library and Medical and Nursing Education Buildings bear the name Claude Moore in honor of his generous contributions.
“UVA Health shares Claude Moore’s dual goals of meaningful career opportunities for more Virginians and meeting the healthcare needs of a growing commonwealth,” said William A. Hazel Jr., MD, the chief executive officer of Claude Moore Opportunities, a 501(c)(3) public charity managing the workforce funding. “That’s why we’re so excited to partner with UVA Health and the UVA Community Health Foundation to expand Virginia’s healthcare workforce and create more opportunities for upward career mobility in Virginia.”
Two recent gifts from CMCF highlight how the foundation and UVA Health are working together to build a pipeline of qualified care providers in Virginia. One supports UVA Health's Earn While You Learn (EWYL) program in Charlottesville. The other supports the coordination of a new regional educational and career-building initiative called the Community Health Science Cooperative at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center.
“By supporting EWYL and the Community Health Science Cooperative, we are joining forces with UVA Health to address healthcare staffing shortages and create pathways to rewarding, in-demand healthcare careers for more Virginians,” said Dr. Hazel.
BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION IN CULPEPER
The 70-bed UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center has impressive accolades, including being among U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care and consistently receiving Grade As in Safety from the Leapfrog Group. Yet, the challenge of finding qualified healthcare workers persists. Right now, several unfilled positions have been open for longer than a year.
The Community Health Science Cooperative is designed to change that. In addition to the CMCF and the UVA Community Health Foundation—the philanthropic organization that supports UVA Health’s medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper—the initiative’s stakeholders include Culpeper County Public Schools, Culpeper County Government, and Germanna Community College. Besides enhancing strategic connections among this group, the project aims to create additional professional opportunities for the region’s citizens and support school system efforts to grow living-wage opportunities in the Culpeper region.
As a first step, CMCF awarded the UVA Community Health Foundation a gift to hire a program coordinator based at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center.
Pamela Bertone started in that role on Jan. 6. “I’m so excited to step into this new role and connect more closely with the community. I’m focused on making connections that will serve to create a workforce pipeline.”
Bertone is the central point of contact for the new initiative and will enhance and strengthen connections among key Culpeper stakeholders in education and healthcare. Before starting her new role, Bertone worked at Germanna Community College, serving as the founding program director of its emergency medical services education program, among other leadership roles.
“Every single person I’ve encountered is very excited about this opportunity,” said Bertone.
Those excited include Donna Staton, the chief operating officer of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in Northern Virginia and Culpeper.
“We are more than grateful for the support of the Claude Moore Foundation in our efforts to help fill gaps in healthcare needs here in the Culpeper region,” said Staton. “With this grant, we can better support those who need quality healthcare and those who want to create a successful career in healthcare.”
This program will undergird opportunities for immediate impact while keeping an eye on growth.
“Nursing and entry-level patient care positions like patient sitters, patient care technicians, and certified nursing assistants continue to be areas of highest priority,” said Staton. “Our goal is to develop pathways for employees to start in entry-level positions and support their continued education and growth to build more skills toward our advanced workforce needs.”
Michelle Strider, chief nursing officer of UVA Health’s community medical centers and clinics in northern Virginia and Culpeper, underscored the importance of having systems in place to help with those transitions.
“The key is that we help transition people from entry-level positions to meet more advanced needs like surgical scrub technicians, first assistants, specialized medical imaging technicians, and so on,” said Strider.
CREATING PATHWAYS TO OPPORTUNITY IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
UVA Health’s Earn While You Learn program creates opportunities for people to enter or pivot into healthcare positions or advance in their healthcare careers. Program participants receive full-time benefits while completing structured coursework and on-the-job training at UVA Health University Medical Center. EWYL’s entry-level program includes training to become an emergency medical technician, a patient care technician, and a pharmacy technician, among others. The advanced program, which is open to UVA Health employees who have been full-time for at least a year, includes training for MRI technician, registered nurse (RN), medical lab assistant, and more. The CMCF’s gift added a new advanced program training track for surgical technology.
“We very much need surgical technicians,” said Beth Mehring, MSN, RN, who directs the EWYL program. “We’re extremely grateful for the support of the foundation. The grant helps us cover tuition-related fees. In the EWYL program, students receive a full-time salary and UVA Health benefits from their commitment to work for us for one to two years after graduation. This is very important to us. We want to sustain this training and grow a workforce.”
Mehring continued: “We have an ongoing shortage at all levels of allied (non-nurse, non-physician) health positions, and most education models are not meeting the needs of today’s students.”
Just ask Caitlin Payne, an EWYL student in the RN program and mother of four boys with a full-time job and a busy household. “I was initially uncertain about my ability to return to school to pursue my RN license. However, once I learned the details of the EWYL program, I realized this was an extraordinary opportunity that aligned perfectly with my life circumstances,” said Payne.
Expediting her career plans is a benefit of the program, but EWYL’s flexibility is her favorite thing about it. “It allows me to maintain my full-time employment while dedicating 16 hours per week to my studies,” said Payne. “Given the medical needs of my young child, who has Type 1 diabetes, and my 15-year-old son, who has Crohn’s disease, having consistent health insurance is invaluable to our family. This program has made it financially viable for me to pursue my education while keeping my job—something I would not have been able to do if I were required to reduce my working hours.”
Mehring said the demand for EWYL is robust. The program received about 500 applications for 60 to 70 open spots. “There’s so much opportunity for growth with this program. It’s a win-win situation. We’re getting a talented, well-trained workforce, and they are getting an education with no student loan debt and a rewarding career,” she said.
By working together, UVA Health and the CMCF are not just filling jobs; they're helping to transform lives and shape the future of healthcare in Virginia.