For a business that has constantly reinvented itself over its 104 years in business, O.A. Newton & Son CEO Rob Rider doesn’t even pause when asked about his company’s elevator speech.

“We’re in two businesses – irrigation and farm and ranch products for a local customer base (Delmarva) and engineered material-handling systems on a national and international level,” says the fourth-generation leader (his grandfather Warren Newton was the “& Sons”).

Where many other Delaware businesses have struggled to survive during the pandemic, Rider says his company has been challenged to keep up as its building-product clients experience record sales and look to expand. For Rider, COVID 19 has been a business accelerant that has helped him grow revenues and move from 30 employees to nearly 40.

“Because we’re involved in both manufacturing and agriculture, we have been considered essential from the start, so we never laid anyone off,” he says. “At the beginning, we were getting ready to start a pretty large [composite decking] project and [the client] wouldn’t let us on site for a month. But that turned out to be a blessing because we were a bit behind schedule, and it allowed us to catch up and get the project back on schedule.”

Big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s saw a jump in business as homebound Delawareans decided to start or move forward with projects. As a result, demand for PVC pipe and fencing, vinyl siding, and wood composite decking stayed very strong.

At the same time, O.A. Newton continued to expand a longtime relationship with Miller Metal Fabrication, which leases space from Rider’s company.

“We decided 14 years ago that we didn’t need our employees doing the sheet metal fabrication for our products,” Rider says. “Miller Metal has developed a lot of advanced manufacturing to make our products better at a lower cost.”

For example, a few years ago, O.A. Newton identified a bottleneck in its production process involving a “spray and bake” painting process called powder coating that Miller Metal has been able to resolve. But Rider says client demand for the service has led them to offer the service to others from Harrington as an additional business.

“It’s not innovative and it’s not a new product,” Rider says. “You need to pay attention to what customers are asking for and then meeting the demand. It might only involve six or eight customers but there’s huge volume and we’ll be able to meet the demand together. You have to be ready to adapt.”

That discussion swung around to a question about O.A. Newton’s legacy after more than a century in Sussex County. The company got its start developing a feed for chickens that led to greater egg production, which led to feed-milling and chicken-breeding businesses. Beyond that, there is a dizzying list of businesses that Rob’s father Bob and then Rob himself started in response to customer needs and opportunities that they saw.

The commitment to innovation and being nimble led O.A. Newton to begin building conveyor belts to move the feed they milled in the 1950s. That led to the creation of conveying systems for companies that make plastic pipe and siding and decking and then to offering replacement parts and service when the recession slowed new construction. The company sold the poultry business was sold in 1969, and a parts counter became the O.A. Newton Farm and Ranch Store, essentially a specialty hardware store that recognized the changing demographics in Sussex and Kent counties from fewer large farms to more farmettes and hobby farms.

“As you can imagine, with our market being building products, the recession decimated our customers,” Rider says. “We had to really retrench and rebuild our business. When the housing bubble burst, it forced out a lot of inefficient manufacturing and we’ve seen steady growth since.”

The desire to stay nimble has led O.A. Newton to form partnerships with companies that have what they need, need what they have, or offer the scale to help them sell their products.

Since the start of the pandemic, O.A. Newton & Sons’ record growth includes going from 30 to nearly 40. Through it all, Rider has remained an unabashed Delaware supporter.

“Delaware has always been an easy place to do business,” he says. “Labor is easy to deal with and it’s easy to get answers. I can’t say that it’s always wonderful from a regulatory standpoint – that’s one of the things we need to work on — but it’s better than most. We’d never consider moving because of the experience we’ve had here.”

O.A. Newton recently shut down branch locations that served retail customers in New Jersey and New York for about 10 years because the “headache of doing business in those states wasn’t worth it. They weren’t terrible experiences, but in both cases, we just decided it wasn’t the right fit for us.”

Rider says he talks to people all the time who are considering renting space in his buildings or buying real estate to build themselves.

“I tell them we have a great workforce and the process to get located here from beginning to end is as easy and convenient as you’re going to get,” he says, adding that he completely supports the efforts of Bob Perkins and the Delaware Business Roundtable’s Ready in Six initiative to accelerate the permitting process.

Before ending the interview, Rider elaborated on his answer about the company’s legacy.

“I would hope that people are saying we’re keeping up with the times and exceeding their expectations, maintaining our relevance in today’s world,” says Rider. “Legacy to me really means reputation and one of the things that is more important than anything is being fair to our customers, our employees, and our community – pretty much in that order.”

“If we are not equally caring for all three of those stakeholders, then we’re not going to continue to exist. When we make decisions, we think about the impact tomorrow and 10 years from now.”

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the American workforce and employers has resulted in a new variety of trends. One of the most positive trends has been the renewed interest by companies and individuals in certification programs. Companies are looking for ways to attract and retain motivated workers and for individuals to find jobs — often in new industries — and position themselves for future promotions.

And that’s good news for schools like Wilmington University (WilmU) that offer Dual-Credit Certificates® that enable students to earn a sought-after certificate and earn credit toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree at the same time on their own schedules. For older students, the certificates enable them to refresh skills and learn new ones.

Programs like WilmU’s option of both in-person and remote learning appeal to companies that are thinking about moving to Delaware, planning to expand here, or just wanting to offer consistent programs to employees regionally or across the country, said Eileen Donnelly, Ed.D., the school’s vice president of enrollment management.

“In those cases, we tell them that WilmU has a range of delivery options that can deliver content to people when they need it and enable students to gain knowledge in a short period of time,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly said WilmU’s focus is “local, regional, and national, in that order. But an increasing number of students across the board — as well as our employer partners — are excited about the ability to earn a credential either as a stand-alone or as a milestone on their way to an undergraduate or graduate degree.”

WilmU has nurtured numerous partnerships, some with regional and national operations, including Barclays, Bank of America, ChristianaCare, CSC Global, JPMorgan Chase, Nemours, Wawa, WSFS, the Mary Campbell Center, Wakefern with ShopRite, Zip Code Wilmington and BAYADA.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for CSC employees to further their career-related education, and we’re delighted to offer it,” said Kristyn Dilenno, global human resources director at CSC. “This partnership brings together two Delaware institutions with more than 170 years of combined experience of improving our community.”

WilmU began its Dual-Credit Certificate® program seven years ago and pioneered nationally the concept of stackable credentials, high-demand certificates that offered content students said they needed to either move ahead in their companies or find new jobs.

Each certificate requires 15 (and in some cases 18) credits – five or six courses – that can go toward a broader undergraduate degree. For example, a student planning to earn a bachelor of science degree in computer and network security (cybersecurity) could first earn certificates in digital evidence discovery and digital evidence investigation. A student could also earn a certificate outside his or her core degree, such as a student seeking a degree in law, policy and political science also earning a certificate in social media management and using that for another role.

Delaware is home to far and away the highest portion of WilmU’s 20,000-plus students, most of whom are working adults. The next largest block comes from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, and the vast majority are pursuing degrees. 

WilmU now has 200+ degree and certificate programs available at all undergraduate and graduate levels, including 88 certification programs (52 for undergrads and 36 for graduates). Majors are focused on career relevancy, such as an array of healthcare options and a degree in cybersecurity. All academic programs incorporate a guided pathways approach to keep students progressing on time, on track and on budget.

Relevant work experience can apply toward a credential using a prior learning assessment (PLA). Because WilmU operates primarily in seven-week academic blocks (two per term), students can complete a certification within a year if they take one course per block. Undergraduate classes currently cost $1,170 while graduate classes cost $1,500 each.

“Most of our students are working adults,” Donnelly said. “They can choose how to take courses, and for students who juggle numerous responsibilities, that matters. The course objectives, assessments and content are all the same between online and in-person classes.”

According to the Georgetown University Center for Education, “the number of occupational certificates awarded has skyrocketed more than 800% over the past 30 years – but not enough to satisfy employer demand.”

Employer demand for skilled talent plays a key role in Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts.

“We have found over the years that our efforts to attract or keep businesses and workers in Delaware are greatly enhanced by the broad range of development programs that our state’s great universities offer,” said Delaware Prosperity Partnership President and CEO Kurt Foreman. “WilmU has a national reputation of being able to meet the educational needs of employees at an affordable price in a short period of time and is an important piece of our overall economic-development effort.”

Often, the greatest adventures in life come to us by surprise. This would ring true for Doug Adams, the CEO of ACE Running, who started his professional journey studying physical therapy at the University of Delaware. There he met Irene Davis, someone who would change his life through her mentorship. Alongside Davis, Adams began exploring a topic that would later be the foundation for his company: gait analysis. Through this research, Adams had the opportunity to work with people from across the globe, and he was able to observe and interact with all different kinds of runners. Because of this, Davis says that “running has become a great passion and something that has just been a great part of my life.”

From these experiences, Adams knew he wanted to continue working to help runners become their best, healthiest selves, and thus, ACE Running was born. The staple of ACE Running is the 3D motion analysis. This system marks a person’s gait, allowing a model of them to be animated on the computer. From there, analysts, such as Adams himself, can go in and devise a plan that will benefit the runner in the most efficient manner. This technology is available for medical and fitness professionals. ACE Running works with them so that they can learn about all the possible tools that they can provide to their clients.

“I got started in gait analysis because I had a great mentor in Irene Davis, when I was at physical therapy school at University of Delaware.

And we started doing gait analysis, and we had people coming from all over the world, and I was lucky enough to be her assistant. And we were able to really get a lot of experience working with runners and continued working with runners. So running has become a great passion and something that has just been a great part of my life.

ACE running is a company that focuses on providing a clear pathway to working with runners. So our customers are medical and fitness professionals. And what we do is we provide them education, tools and resources to provide great service to runners.

So the 3D motion analysis is a portable system, and it works just like when you make a Pixar movie or a video game, where you put reflective markers on specific spots on the body.

And then as the runner moves, we create a 3D model of them. And we can look at each joint and say what the knee’s doing, what the hip’s doing and how that might be affecting the running for him.

Delaware has been great access for it, not just only the location, but the infrastructure. So it’s really been such a great community. And that’s one of the things that I love about Delaware is when we start a business, so many people are willing to help out.

And it’s great because you can create such a network in Delaware that makes a huge benefit in accelerating your business.” –Doug Adams

Choosing where to stake your grounds for a livelihood is a tough and serious decision. Delaware hopes to make that decision a bit easier. From statistics to personal testimonies, the website for Delaware has much to offer in terms of why America’s First State would be the ideal place to settle. Whether forming a business—where the state is ranked eighth in the nation for doing business—or just looking somewhere new to move—with nationally ranked healthcare and school curricula—Delaware’s Live Love website provides an abundance of resources, reasons, and information to help you make the choice.

Delaware was where Adams’ journey with ACE Running began, long before he realized it, so it only seems fit that he would locate his business in the state where everything changed. While ACE Running is centralized in Delaware, it looks to help runners across the globe. Adams returned to Delaware for many reasons, one of which being the physical location, near large metropolises, namely Washington D.C. However, Adams also cites the infrastructure of the state to have been a huge positive for his company. From the get-go, there has been a community raring to get this company up on its feet, which is a big deal for those just thinking about forming a business. Adams is fond of the people of Delaware, who make it easy to network and stay connected. ACE Running has been able to go off without a hitch because there exists a strong community that is willing to help him succeed. 

Looking for great job opportunities with one of the nation’s best employers in Delaware? Be sure to plan on attending this exciting in-person hiring event with Amazon on Friday, September 9, 2021, at 5 p.m.

ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute and DETV have partnered in the creation of an educational video series to inspire high school students to consider a career in one of the most exciting frontiers in science and medicine — gene editing. The message: CRISPR gene editing technology is poised to revolutionize the way we combat some of the most intractable diseases, such as cancer and sickle cell disease, and no matter who you are or what background you come from, the door is open for you to shape how we use this technology to ensure everyone can benefit from it.

Downloadable: VIDEO

CRISPR in the Classroom

Called “CRISPR in the Classroom,” the video series is available to schools across the United States and serves as a supplemental resource alongside the Gene Editing Institute’s CRISPR in a Box Educational Toolkit™, which provides teachers and students real-life experience with CRISPR. Creators of CRISPR in a Box were Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., director of the Gene Editing Institute and Brett Sansbury, Ph.D., discovery research group leader.

The video series focuses on sickle cell disease as an example of a disease that could someday be cured with gene editing technology. Sickle cell is a painful genetic disease that primarily affects Black populations. While many genetically inherited disorders involve multiple genes, sickle cell is caused by only one gene — making it easier to study and potentially find a cure. Through “CRISPR in the Classroom,” students learn from patients, medical professionals and scientists talking about the challenge and the hope for a cure.

“Many CRISPR labs across the country are looking to solve sickle cell, including our own, but imagine if we can expand the number and the diversity of scientists interested in CRISPR to help solve this and other diseases,” said Dr. Kmiec. “With significant funding from the National Science Foundation, we have begun this local and eventually nationwide effort to engage Black, LatinX and other underrepresented groups of students to consider genetic engineering.”

Appoquinimink High School in Middletown, Del., used the video series in a five-week summer program in a gene editing curriculum developed by the state of Delaware with help from the Gene Editing Institute. Brandywine and William Penn High Schools in Delaware will also use the videos in their gene editing courses this coming school year.

“The videos from the Gene Editing Institute helped my students better understand how far-reaching CRISPR applications are and how the technology can be used to prevent diseases like sickle cell in the future,” said Elijah Morsha-Taylor, science instructor at Appoquinimink High School. “They also learned about the societal impact of medical technology and how different communities relate to these technological advancements.”

The Conversation and Context

One of the main purposes of the videos is to allow for deeper conversations about inequity in access to science education and medical treatments for people of color, and to discuss the realities of the need for more scientists of color.

“We hope that this series can help high school students to begin a conversation with their friends and family members, and that they share what they’ve learned, along with their insights, to help build new trust and excitement about science and medicine — and the next generation of breakthrough technologies that can cure diseases and create better health,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO.

“All of us in the health care and medical research fields have a responsibility to do everything we can to learn from history, build back trust, and create a more equitable future so that the latest scientific discoveries that use tools like CRISPR gene editing can be available to everyone,” she said.

The Videos

“CRISPR in the Classroom” consists of conversations with medical professionals about sickle cell disease with commentary from patients. It demonstrates how gene editing is helping sickle cell disease, and it also includes a demonstration of how to use the CRISPR in a Box kit in hands-on learning about the technology of gene editing. It also includes a conversation about race, gender and the scientific journey with young scientists from the Gene Editing Institute.

One video in the series includes a roundtable discussion with five young research scientists and a medical student who share a frank discussion about race, gender and their own personal journeys. They suggest that more inclusive environments in science and medicine can help build trust and eventually lead to the elimination of health disparities.

“The more you see people like yourself entering careers in science and medicine, the more you think ‘I can achieve that,’” said participant Indigo Johnson, a medical student who spent time as a lab technician at the Gene Editing Institute.

“When you see someone like yourself explaining CRISPR technology to you, it becomes more relatable,” she said. “Talking to younger students, getting them interested in science can fuel a spark. Some kids have an interest in science or medicine but when they don’t see scientists or doctors who look like them, they don’t think a career in science or medicine is achievable.”

To help ensure the community connection and voice in the video series, the Gene Editing Institute tapped DETV as its production partner.

“DETV was thrilled to partner with the Gene Editing Institute to create an educational resource for high school students that will be especially beneficial in Black and brown communities to help them learn about the revolutionary CRISPR technology,” said Ivan Thomas, founder of DETV. “We hope the series will inspire the scientists of tomorrow to come from communities of color to join in the fight to use CRISPR gene editing and to find cures for diseases that predominately impact those communities, such as sickle cell disease.”

“CRISPR in the Classroom” is already resonating with scientific and educational organizations beyond the local Delaware community.

“The further development of your program to educate students and instructors in CRISPR gene editing techniques will support the increased implementation of gene editing in educational programs, bioscience companies and research laboratories throughout the nation,” said V. Celeste Carter, Ph.D. program director, Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation.

About ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute

The Gene Editing Institute, a worldwide leader in CRISPR gene editing technology and the only institute of its kind based within a community health care system, takes a patient-first approach in all its research to improve the lives of people with life-threatening disease. Since 2015, researchers at the Gene Editing Institute have been involved in several ground-breaking firsts in the field, including the development of the first CRISPR gene editing tool to allow DNA repairs outside the human cell which will rapidly speed therapies to patients and a unique version of CRISPR called EXACT that reduces the number of off-target edits to other areas of the genome, which is vital for further research and patient applications. Its researchers are currently developing a patient trial for lung cancer using CRISPR technology.

Delaware is advancing healthcare access statewide by offering a pair of student loan repayment programs that encourage qualifying medical professionals to choose Delaware for their practice.

A shortage of healthcare professionals – especially primary care practitioners – is being felt throughout the United States. But Delaware is staving off the service delays and delivery gaps that can be caused by this shortage by attracting much-needed medical personnel to the First State with a pair of programs that help them cover the cost of their education and training.

Delaware has been investing in developing strategies to support health care professionals deal with education debt since the inception of its health care loan forgiveness program years ago. In fact, an article by Money magazine identifies Delaware as one of “11 states and cities that will help you pay off your student loans.” In 2021, the Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program was created to strengthen Delaware employer efforts to recruit and retain quality healthcare professionals even further.

“Delaware may be a tiny state,” the Money article notes, “but it is offering big bucks to healthcare professionals looking to move and work there.”

Two Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Programs Available

Details of the two programs offered in Delaware are as follows: 

• The newly created Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program offers grant awards up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of four years to new primary care providers who have recently completed their graduate education. Administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission, the program serves family medicine physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants. Priority consideration may be given to Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research-participating students and participants in Delaware-based residency programs. 

In addition, hospitals, private practices and other healthcare organizations may apply for grants on behalf of their qualifying employees. All facilities or organizations submitting applications must accept Medicare and Medicaid patients and be located in underserved areas or areas of need. Any hospitals submitting applications also must pledge a dollar-for-dollar match.

 “Our primary care doctors and their teams are the first line of defense in our healthcare system and the personal time they spend with their patients helps create healthier communities one family at a time,” Delaware State Representative Bryan Shupe. “Investing in the future of our local doctors, through this public-private partnership, will set a precedent in focusing on our local communities and the health of our local families.”

Further details about the Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program are available here.

• In place since 2000, the Delaware Student Loan Repayment Program offers awards ranging from $30,000 to $100,000 for up to four years to healthcare professionals who live in Delaware and work in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas. Administered by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the program serves qualified advanced and mid-level professionals in dental, behavioral/mental health and primary care and is open to both recent graduates considering moving to or staying in Delaware as well as to practitioners already employed for several years by a qualified Delaware practice site. 
  

A flyer about the Delaware Student Loan Repayment Program may be downloaded here. 

When Bayhealth announced plans to build a new hospital off Route 1 in Milford, downtown residents were worried. Surrounded by homes, Milford Memorial Hospital was a beloved city fixture. Indeed, parts of the building date back to 1938.

“No one wanted to see a 250,000-square-foot facility boarded up to become a massive white elephant,” says Meir Gelley, CEO of Nationwide Healthcare Services, which purchased the old hospital site in June 2019.

Nationwide, which owns and operates long-term-care and skilled nursing facilities, specializes in turning around old properties. But the energetic Gelley did not want to limit the building’s reuse to long- and short-term, post-acute care. He saw the need for preventative and ongoing services.

“I always dreamed of creating a program so that if someone needs us, we’re still in touch and have services to offer,” he explains.

With the help of Ohio-based Dynamis Advisors, Nationwide has transformed the former hospital into the vibrant Milford Wellness Village. In just a few years — and during a pandemic — the $30 million Milford Wellness Village has racked up an impressive roster of tenants that have created new jobs: 220 and counting.

Checking All the Boxes

Bayhealth hired Dynamis Advisors to explore the potential use for the hospital after the healthcare system’s departure. The firm helps providers and the communities design, finance, develop and manage innovative healthcare real estate projects.

Having worked with Nationwide in the past, Dynamis President Scott Keller reached out to Gelley. “We said, ‘Are you interested?’ He said, ‘Yes,’ and the rest is history.”

“Dynamis was extremely helpful,” Gelley recalls. “We met with all the stakeholders and the community.”

Milford was a logical setting for the ambitious multi-use endeavor. “Milford is one of the fastest-growing towns in the state,” Gelley notes. It sits on the border between Kent and Sussex Counties, which have a large population of retirees and people who need affordable services.

The Clarke Avenue building was available and had the proper infrastructure. Although it required renovations — one wing dates to 1954 — it had been maintained up until Bayhealth opened its new hospital near Route 1. “It checked all the boxes,” Gelley says of the facility.

The site was also in Delaware. “There are friendly opportunities and room for advancement here,” says Gelley, who has worked in surrounding states. “Delaware is very welcoming.”

The village is not his first project in the First State. Nationwide, which came to Delaware in 2006, also operates Regal Heights Healthcare & Rehabilitation in Hockessin and Regency Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Wilmington.

It Takes a Village

Nationwide removed the hospital’s labyrinth of corridors to create a straightforward “Main Street”-style flow between tenant services.

Polaris Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, licensed for 150 beds, occupies the second and third floors while Banyan Treatment Centers is on the fourth. La Red Health Center, a familiar name in Sussex County, opened in the village in November 2019.

Also on board:

• Kidz Ink Academy of Early Academics Child Care Center, which has classrooms for 160 children
• Nurses ’n Kids, which cares for infants and children with acute and chronic medical needs, developmental delays and nutritional deficiencies
• The Lab at Seascape
• WeCare Program, which helps seniors stay healthy in their own homes
• AquaCare Physical Therapy

The village does not duplicate services, Gelley says. “It’s really filling in the gaps.” He’s hoping to lease space to a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly or PACE program, which is like a “nursing home without the overnight stay,” he explains. “They have access to doctors, dietitians and pain care.” Currently, he says, there is only one PACE program in Delaware.

Such services have become especially important as so many people want to remain in their homes. Since the pandemic, many seniors have become skittish about long-term-care facilities, which were vulnerable in COVID-19’s early days.

The village has space for additional “like-minded” organizations that “enhance each other and benefit from each other’s presence,” he says. There is a spirit of collaboration. La Red, for instance, offered COVID-19 vaccinations to everyone in the building.

Gelley does not hesitate when asked how he will measure the project’s success. “When I am making people’s lives better — that’s what I consider my success.”

Bayhealth — recognized as one of the nation’s Most Wired health systems, with hospitals in Dover and Milford — is always looking for IT superstars: caring, compassionate, patient, and motivated talent who get excited about going to work every day.

Healthcare may not be the first industry that comes to mind for young talent looking to launch a career in information technology (IT) — or for seasoned talent looking to retrain or upskill for a second career, for that matter. But the trajectory of change that has steadily increased the pace of technology advances over the last 20 years — fuel-injected by virtual demands created in the last year by the COVID-19 pandemic — make healthcare IT one of today’s fastest-growing, most exciting career options for those hoping to advance their earning potential while making a difference in their community.

The IT team at Bayhealth believes there is no better place to put the winning combination of hard skills and soft talents that are required in the healthcare industry to work than in Central or Southern Delaware.

“Bayhealth uses technology to do what needs to be done to care for patients,” says Vice President and Chief Information Officer Richard Mohnk. “We have programs in place to train and educate our team as they advance in their careers, but we need to continuously feed those programs with talented people who have a desire to be great.”

Bayhealth IT Supports More than 200 Applications

Bayhealth health systems IT DelawareWesley Coombs, Bayhealth’s Service Desk supervisor, leads the team that takes calls around the clock from both employees and patients looking for help with software and application issues. Because they support more than 200 IT applications, Coombs says the Service Desk is a great place to get a foot in the door and gain valuable experience for a career in healthcare IT.

Bayhealth is certainly not alone in the search for great technical talent, but the healthcare industry’s IT needs are so specialized that it’s almost unheard of for someone to transition from another industry directly into a mid-to-advanced seniority analyst or project manager position with a medical center. Those positions typically require a four-year degree or a minimum of three years of healthcare-related work experience.

By partnering with their Central Delaware academic neighbors – Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College and Wilmington University – Bayhealth has created a pipeline that already has brought in 22 entry-level staff who work up to 24 hours a week on the IT department’s Service Desk while they finish their degrees.

As team members sharpen their IT skills and gain familiarity with the clinical areas that need support throughout the medical center, they are first in line for opportunities to advance to higher-paying analyst and project manager positions within Bayhealth. But that leaves openings for Coombs to fill back on the Service Desk.

To meet the challenge, the retired veteran called on his own experience as a drill sergeant. Just as the military teaches someone with the right personal attributes to be a soldier, Coombs realized that he is in a position to help the right candidates gain the work-related experienced needed to advance to a higher-level position in healthcare IT.

For example, most IT professionals have great technical skills, understand hardware and know how to manipulate applications. But taking a call from a clinician who needs trouble-shooting help under pressure to access a patient’s imaging report, or from an elderly member of the community trying to figure out how to use a smartphone app to schedule a virtual appointment, takes patience, compassion and a true desire to help, according to Coombs.

“Under Wesley’s supervision, Bayhealth’s Service Desk offers a remarkable entry-level process with great exposure to healthcare to create a career path from within,” says Mohnk.

Fueling Delaware’s IT Pipeline

IT needs remain a key concern for employers throughout Delaware, with talent needed at all levels – from entry to highly specialized – who are qualified in software, networks, cyber security, data management and tech support. Two-thirds of Delaware’s IT jobs are found outside the traditional “tech” sector in areas of finance, manufacturing, education, government and, of course, healthcare.

To help build a more diverse tech talent pipeline for 2021 and beyond, Delaware Prosperity Partnership is leading a public-private initiative of more than 50 stakeholders representing Delaware businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions and workforce development organizations. Collectively, they are developing a coordinated and demand-driven approach to meeting the state’s IT talent demands. Their work is funded by a workforce readiness grant from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

Systems Shine When Superstars Use the Right Tools

At Bayhealth, Coombs’ mission aligns with the state’s aims as he focuses on bringing in the right people to work the Service Desk in preparation for their next step on the career ladder. He says he finds it fulfilling to watch his team grow, develop and gain confidence.

“Seeing my team help our employees and patients get the help they need really is one of the most rewarding feelings,” Coombs says. “It feels like we are giving back.”

Mohnk agrees.

“We enjoy teamwork and camaraderie here at Bayhealth,” Mohnk says. “We’re always looking to bring in the next IT superstar — and our goal is to see hard-working, great talent succeed.”

A new bipartisan bill signed into law on August 9th will help attract needed medical professionals to The First State.

The measure (House Bill 48, as amended) establishes the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, which will award grants to qualifying clinicians of up to $50,000 annually. Total payments to any one recipient would max out at $200,000.

The program is an attempt to battle to a shortage of medical professionals that is being felt throughout the U.S. In a report issued last year, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projected that the nation will face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by 2033. “The pandemic, which struck after the projections were completed, magnifies the need to address shortfalls in both primary care doctors and specialists,” the AAMC noted in a statement.

A new bipartisan bill signed into law yesterday (8/9) will help attract needed medical professionals to The First State.

Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program

The measure (House Bill 48, as amended) establishes the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, which will award grants to qualifying clinicians of up to $50,000 annually. Total payments to any one recipient would max out at $200,000.

The program is an attempt to battle a shortage of medical professionals that is being felt throughout the U.S. In a report issued last year, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projected that the nation will face a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by 2033. “The pandemic, which struck after the projections were completed, magnifies the need to address shortfalls in both primary care doctors and specialists,” the AAMC noted in a statement.

Nurses are also expected to be in high demand and short supply.

According to a report by the Duquesne University School of Nursing, the U.S. will need more than 200,000 new nurses each year until 2026 to fill new positions or replace retiring staffers. “Though enrollment in nursing programs is increasing, it is not sufficient to meet demand,” the reported noted. “This shortage is especially acute…for certified family nurse practitioners, who can provide primary care without a doctor’s direct supervision.”

Under the Delaware Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, hospitals, private practices, and other health care organizations may apply for grants on behalf of their qualifying workers. However, the law sets certain conditions. Such facilities must accept Medicare and Medicaid patients and hospitals submitting a grant application need to pledge a dollar-for-dollar match.

The grants are limited to the recruitment and retention of new primary care providers who have recently completed their graduate education. Qualifying occupations include family medicine physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants.

State Rep. Bryan Shupe (R-Milford), one of the bill’s prime sponsors, says Delaware’s primary care shortfall crisis is causing long-term delays and service delivery gaps.

“Our primary care doctors and their teams are the first line of defense in our health care system and the personal time they spend with their patients helps create healthier communities one family at a time,” he said. “Investing in the future of our local doctors, through this public-private partnership, will set a precedent in focusing on our local communities and the health of our local families. I am proud to join Rep. David Bentz (D-Newark, Christiana) on this legislation to advance health care access.”

Delaware health insurers will contribute up to $1 million to initially establish the program.