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Access to care

Stabilizing medical care with training programs

SSM Health believes in economic growth and sustainability through care access and job creation in vulnerable communities, both rural and urban.
4min
Nadine Meru
Published on May 21, 2024
“Many patients do not have access to the affordable care they need. Depending on where you live, whether in a major city or rural area, your life expectancy may vary by a number of years. I think our biggest struggle is aligning our ability to provide care with the communities that need it. This is a workforce concern that is evolving and will continue,” says Misty Jones, Chief Operating Officer, Saint Mary’s Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital, part of SSM Health in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She adds, “We are working diligently to build our workforce to meet the growing demand.”
Portrait of Misty Jones, Chief Operating Officer, SSM Health Saint Mary’s Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital.

Workforce challenges increase our focus on access to care.

Misty Jones, Chief Operating Officer, SSM Health Saint Mary’s Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital

The impact of staffing concerns today

<p>The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the U.S. will face a shortage of up to 200,000 nurses by 2031.[1] SSM Health continues to be a national leader in finding solutions to overcome staff shortfalls that are impacting health systems globally. Nationally, the healthcare workforce in general is aging and is not being replenished by a pipeline of younger people. A reduced workforce faces the challenge of meeting the growing demand for healthcare from an aging society. Caregivers have to travel further in some areas, resulting in rising costs for health systems.</p>

Investing in educational programs

<p>Jeremy Fotheringham, Regional President and Board Chair of Academic and Community Ministries at SSM Health-St. Louis and Southern Illinois, says, “We are working to ensure all people have access to high-quality, compassionate, and affordable care, but we can’t do this alone.”</p>
A person holding the hand of another person, symbolizing support and connection.

“We are working to ensure all people have access to high-quality, compassionate, and affordable care, but we can’t do this alone.”

Jeremy Fotheringham, Regional President and Board Chair of Academic and Community Ministries at SSM Health-St. Louis and Southern Illinois
Investing in local education programs, for example, can create quality jobs in vulnerable communities. Jones says, “We focus our efforts on communities that have a high employment gap in prime working age. There is a significant number of people between the ages of 25 and 54 who are able to work but are not employed.” Building economic sustainability for vulnerable communities begins with investing in these communities and creating quality jobs to reduce the social determinants of health related to poverty. Jones adds, “We need people to make sure we can take care of our patients.” In response, SSM Health has created a training program to develop and retain clinical staff for the long term.
Medical professional speaking with senior patient in hospital room.

Only together with people can it be ensured that patients can be cared for.

Financial support for medical trainees

<p>In the U.S., becoming a medical technician requires three to four years of college study to earn a bachelor’s degree, followed by approximately four years of practical training. For many, this traditional path to a healthcare career is not feasible due to unaffordable tuition fees. In response, SSM Health has launched a new training and apprenticeship program [2] to eliminate financial barriers and invest in their community.</p>
<p>Trainees receive face-to-face instruction at a local college and participate in paid clinical training at SSM Health. In addition to wages and benefits, SSM Health also covers the costs of the training, materials, and the certified medical assistant exam—meaning there are no out-of-pocket costs for the participants. Once trainees complete the program, they will be hired as physician assistants at SSM Health, with a minimum commitment of two years.</p>

Education and technology

SSM Health has a long history of innovative technology and educational programs that dates back to 1872 when five German nuns left their homeland. They arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, and immediately began caring for the sick. Doctors joined them and they established various hospitals in urban and rural areas. This system eventually became known as SSM Health. 

Innovations and technologies such as X-ray systems started to be used in hospitals, making it possible to examine the inside of the body. And so it was that the first registered X-ray technician in the United States was a sister from SSM Health. From 1922 to 1962, Sister Beatrice Merrigan was the Chief X-Ray Technician at SSM Health St. Anthony’s Hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was also active in the state and local radiology technician organizations (image 1). Sister Hilda Brickus was an X-ray technician at St. Mary’s Infirmary and SSM Health Joseph Hospital in St. Charles, Missouri, and she taught radiologic technology for over 25 years at St. Mary’s Infirmary, Saint Louis University, and St. Louis Community College (image 2).

Sister Beatrice Merrigan was the first registered X-ray technician in the United States.

Image 1: Sister Beatrice Merrigan was the first registered X-ray technician in the United States. She is pictured here around 1950. 
(Photo courtesy of SSM Health)

Portrait of Misty Jones, Chief Operating Officer, SSM Health Saint Mary’s Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital.

Innovative technology and education tailored to training solutions help us bridge this workforce gap.

Misty Jones, Chief Operating Officer, SSM Health Saint Mary’s Hospital and Saint Louis University Hospital

Bridge the workforce gap

<p>Jones is a big believer in innovation and technology to mitigate the workforce crisis. Technologies can improve the quality and efficiency of diagnostic imaging and simplify workflows. To achieve this, SSM Health and Siemens Healthineers signed a ten-year <a href="Value%20Partnership">Value Partnership</a> in August 2023.[3] One key component of this cooperation is to provide better access to clinical care for underserved and vulnerable people in urban and rural areas.<br><br>As one of the largest employers in every community it serves, the organization’s 40,000 team members and more than 13,900 providers fulfill SSM Health’s Mission: “Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God. Like our founding sisters, we care deeply for our communities.”</p>

What is a Value Partnership?

A Value Partnership is a long-term, performance-oriented, collaborative engagement. In this trusted cooperation, the client's strategic goals are pursued in order to increase enterprise-wide value.
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By Nadine Meru
Nadine Meru has a PhD in biology and works as an editor at Siemens Healthineers. She specializes in technology and innovation topics.

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  1. The statements by Siemens Healthineers customers described herein are based on results that were achieved in the customer’s unique setting. Since there is no “typical” hospital and many variables exist (e.g., hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption) there can be no guarantee that other customers will achieve the same results.