The Penn Foster Blog

As the United States continues to roll out the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccines, trained pharmacy technicians will be vital to the process. As of early January, over 30 million vaccine doses have been distributed to immunization providers across the county. But many don’t have the manpower to vaccinate patients and see to business as usual, contributing to the slower-than-desired vaccination rates across the country. Retail and privately owned pharmacies, however, have found a solution: hiring more pharmacy technicians.

Emily Gaudette is the Director of Organizational Development for Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire. With over a decade in the industry she is well versed in building effective leadership development and training programs in healthcare organizations. She sat down with us to discuss what that meant in one of the toughest years for healthcare on record.

In 2021, the focus for many businesses is recovery. 2020 heavily impacted staffing and the economy, with many industries being forced to lay off workers en masse to financially weather the changes caused by the pandemic response. As some businesses are finally able to bring back workers and hire new ones, training and upskilling will be vital to maintaining momentum and increasing productivity during recovery. Even those industries that are still pushing forward can use learning and development as a method to engage and offer opportunities to dedicated employees who still need to adapt to quick changes. But with budgets that have been stretched to cover immediate business needs during an economic downturn, is allocating spending for training worth the cost? In the long run, yes.

2020 saw a huge jump in new pet ownership, a trend that doesn’t appear to be slowing down as we head into 2021, and veterinary practices need to figure out how to meet the rising demand in new patients. One solution is for leaders to consider how they’re maximizing the skills of their team members. More leaders are recognizing that the best way to elevate their practice is by improving the skills of their current workforce, leading to a newfound commitment to education and training for staff.

The pandemic, coupled with the rise in pet ownership and an increased client list, has resulted in employee burnout at many veterinary hospitals. We spoke with Karlene Belyea, VP of Wellness at Mission Veterinary Partners, to learn about her background and the inner workings of a company that strives to create a culture where employees feel appreciated, respected, and balanced.

Healthcare staffing has been a rollercoaster for hiring managers and healthcare systems alike over the last year, with some hospitals and non-emergent care providers hemorrhaging jobs at the start of the pandemic. In June, the need for frontline healthcare workers once again spiked, with providers adding new roles and open positions to recover from the over 100,000 jobs previously lost. One thing remains constant, however: the need for continued in-depth training for new and current employees. As the world continues to navigate the pandemic while preparing to provide millions of vaccinations across the country, skilled frontline healthcare workers are more vital than ever. To ensure your staff is ready and able to handle the high demand of new patients, reliance on telehealth, and the first waves of vaccinations, you first need a clear picture of what skills your employees are missing.

2020 has been riddled with ongoing change due to the lasting impacts of COVID-19, and these changes have undoubtedly had an acute affect, in particular, on the way Americans are able to work. Specific to the skilled trades, there are many ways in which this sector of the American workforce has been continually affected. Looking onward to 2021, there are a handful of likely trends we can expect within this industry as these changes continue to unfold.

Obtaining a high school diploma is an important pre-cursor to entering the workforce or pursuing post-secondary education, but the reality is that for high school dropouts, it can be difficult to go back and complete their degree. As an educational, occupational, and leadership program for low-income youth who have dropped out of school, Project YouthBuild in Gainesville, Florida knows this better than most.

There is no doubt that 2020 has left its mark on the healthcare industry. Grappling with an unprecedented pandemic that continues to strain healthcare systems across the country has indelibly impacted how, when, and where medical services are administered. The rapid changes that have been implemented in the last nine months will continue into the new year and, for some, far beyond it. Preparing for those changes is vital to success – not only in combating the pandemic, but in growing and maintaining a medical practice into the future. With that in mind, here are our top predictions for the healthcare industry in 2021.

Acknowledging that the industry has largely prevailed in this turbulent period, it’s important to recognize improvements in the field and the tools that will be instrumental to any veterinary team’s success in 2021, large or small. How can practices capitalize on the current success they may be experiencing to ensure that it lasts when the future is unclear? Here are some of our predictions for the state of the veterinary industry in the upcoming year and beyond.