Growing Our Own

I always talk about Colorado as a tale of multiple regions. We have the eastern plains and the challenges of those rural communities and health systems. Most people know about the front range, which of course is the main urban corridor of the state. The San Luis Valley in south central Colorado has its own unique and rich culture that varies considerably from the rest of the state. The mountain regions have strong tourist economies with a cost of living to match. This creates a housing challenge for the service staff that keep those areas going. Southwest Colorado, over the Wolf Creek Pass, often seems a bit isolated and I just learned that they don’t even get Denver news in the southwest area of the state. The western slope, west of the continental divide, and northern Colorado have a mix of frontier and agricultural communities with over 26 dialects from around the world. This geographic diversity makes it difficult for a statewide organization, like the Center, to ensure all areas of the state have the resources they need.

Last month I had the privilege of spending a few days with our partners in southwest Colorado. I was struck, as is often the case, that the champions in these regions are working tirelessly to support the needs of their communities. This highlighted the fact that it is the champions from within all the geographic areas of the state who serve as our best partners. They understand the culture of their communities and provide great ideas for solutions to the healthcare access problems faced by those communities.

So, what's my point? I have two asks. First, we hope the nurses of Colorado will engage in the Colorado Action Coalition in 2024. The strategic action committees are incredibly busy, but more hands make lighter work and we know we need more participation from outside the front range. The meetings are monthly and virtual, to make participation simple. For more information, please check out our COAC webpage.

Second, the Center is preparing to gather data for a demand survey in Colorado and we need your help. What are the healthcare workforce needs across the various regions of the state? I am inviting all partners in the state to work with us to gather valid and reliable data on the state workforce needs both now and in the future. This data is difficult to gather and equally difficult to analyze once collected. We will be reaching out to the systems across Colorado to ask for information on their workforce needs. I hope you will join us to assist in gathering this data.

We are confident that we can grow our own workforce from within our communities, but to meet the workforce needs we must first know what they are.

y every day and be safe!

Thank you for all you do! Enjoy every day and be safe!

Ingrid Johnson DNP, MPP, RN, FAAN

President and CEO