Employees Offered Educational Assistance
Employees requested the increase of education in all areas of the organization when submitting the Employee Engagement and Education Surveys. Many employees requested specific assistance with higher education, educational conferences, and professional certifications. We heard you!
The Education Committee began working on a sustainable plan in December of 2013 to provide all employees at San Luis Valley Health with increased Educational Opportunities. This cross-functional team developed a budget-friendly plan to address assistance with higher education, assistance with educational conferences and the opportunity for assistance with professional certifications. The Education Assistance Program includes the following:
Higher Education – Employees will have the opportunity for monetary assistance with degree programs. The employee and their direct supervisor must fill out an application; the employee must have worked within the organization for 2 years and be employed in good standing in a full-time position. A commitment contract between the employee and the organization is required for this assistance.
Educational Conferences – Employees will have the opportunity to attend educational conferences applicable to their specialty. The committee will also be looking for opportunities to bring conferences to the facility, for the benefit of many employees. SLV Health will cover the funding of travel, lodging, meals and registration fees. The employee and their direct supervisor must fill out an application and the employee must be willing to share the information learned with their peers. The employee must have 6 months of continuous service within the organization and be in good standing in a part-time or full-time position. No commitment contract is required.
Professional Certification – Employees will have the opportunity to obtain professional certifications that will enrich their professional development and meet the goals of their current position. The organization will assist with the initial costs of obtaining the certification. The employee and their direct supervisor must fill out an application and the employee must have 6 months of continuous service within the organization and be in good standing in a part-time or full-time position. A short term commitment contract will be required between the employee and the organization and the employee must pass the certification. Education required to keep the certification will be the employee’s responsibility.
Provider CME’s, director education and grant funding are excluded in this program. An employee may participate in one category per budget year (beginning in July 2014). The application must be completed and returned to Mandy Crockett or Dawn Weed by the 1st of each month. The Education Committee will then review the applications and notify the employee and their supervisor by the 20th of the month. The application is located on the Intranet home page.
SLV Health currently covers the cost of supplies, books, instructor fees, out-side organization fees and facility fees for any educational offerings on the organization’s campus. These offerings are free to employees to attend and most of the offerings are certifications that the employee can take with them if they relocate to another facility (i.e. BLS, ACLS, STABLE, NRP, PALS, TNCC, etc.). The Education Program will not change the procedure of these classes and the employee’s time spent in class will not be covered, however, the facility will continue to cover the expenses associated with the class offering as previously described. This practice is concurrent with other organizations within the Colorado region.
The Education Committee is willing to assist employees with questions, applications, and requests for education! Please watch for further communication regarding this program. Questions regarding this process should be directed to Dawn Weed at ext. 1422 or Mandy Crockett at ext. 1462.