The Peru Gazette

PLATTSBURGH, NY (10/14/2022) — Together with the Foundation of CVPH, the William H. Miner Foundation announced today a $1.2 million donation to support the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital’s (CVPH) Educational Career Advancement Program (ECAP), created to provide employees with the opportunity to grow professionally while addressing chronic workforce challenges faced by the hospital.

ECAP offers financial assistance for education to CVPH employees in exchange for a commitment to work for the hospital for a defined period of time upon completion. Participants are reimbursed for books and tuition and some may receive a stipend. Participants may also be able to adjust work schedules if needed while they pursue their degree.

Dr. Rick Grant of the Miner Foundation said that the foundation was pleased to support this worthwhile program, “William Miner built state-of-the art Physician’s Hospital in 1926, but he understood that it was the highly trained and dedicated staff that made it successful.”

Employees from Radiology, Laboratory, Perioperative Services, Patient Registration and Patient Care are currently enrolled in the program. The eight members of the first session are pursuing degrees or advanced certification in Nursing and Specialty Radiology.

Thanks to ECAP, Laboratory Assistant Norlene Buskey is attending nursing school. “I want the trustees to know how much they are changing my life and making my dream come true with this donation. I am so grateful; I want them to know that their donation will not go to waste, and I will be the best RN that I can be to take care of our patients and our community.”

In thanking the Miner Foundation, Alice Hyde Medical Center and CVPH President Michelle LeBeau called ECAP “a real investment in our people – one that could change their lives and have a lasting impact on our community.”

The William H. Miner Foundation will be working with The Foundation of CVPH to award these funds. ECAP applications will be accepted on a yearly basis. Representatives from Patient Care/Nursing, Professional Services, The Foundation and Human Resources review the applications and select participants based on open positions, future staffing projections and recruitment and retention trends. Preference is given to those pursuing high-need, hard to fill roles in the organization.

“This generous donation is yet another amazing example of the Miner Foundation’s commitment to CVPH and the entire North Country. The program will make a tremendous difference by supporting our staff, helping to keep talented and committed professionals here in the North Country and allowing us to continue our mission to care for our community,” said Associate Vice President of Philanthropy Kerry Haley.

Hospitals throughout the country and especially in rural areas like the North Country continue to be challenged with staffing shortages. The American Hospital Association (AHA) recently reported that in the early days of the pandemic, the healthcare industry lost 1.5 million workers. And while there has been a gradual recovery in some settings, according to the AHA, hospitals and nursing facilities lost 32,900 and 145,600 employees since December of 2021. Earlier this year, the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance reported that the overall average position vacancy rate in upstate hospitals was 17.1%, almost three times the average rate than at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

Upstate hospitals are currently recruiting for over 3,700 registered nurse position openings, according to the alliance that represents 50 hospitals in 32 counties in upstate New York.

“ECAP is one of several initiatives we’ve launched to support our employees’ desire to grow their careers while continuing to meet the needs of the community,” LeBeau said and added it’s part of a Network-wide effort to develop, nurture and retain talent throughout the region. “The support of the Miner Foundation has been instrumental in getting it up and running.”

“William Miner viewed quality healthcare as essential to rural life and he built Physician’s Hospital. But time and again he focused on the people who worked there, insisting on an education that combined head, hands, and heart. We believe ECAP will sustain Miner’s vision.”

From establishing the Physician’s Hospital at 100 Beekman St. in 1926 and supporting the creation of the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center in 1999 to contributing to the CVPH Family Medicine Residency, The William H. Miner Foundation has a long history of supporting health care in the North Country. Miner grew up in Chazy in the early 1900s and after making his fortune in the Midwest, returned to the Champlain Valley investing in agriculture, education and health care. His Foundation continues to support the William H. Miner Agricultural Institute, Chazy Central Rural School and CVPH.