Review March 23

Delaware LIVE+ Weekly Review – March 23, 2025

Sonja Frey March 23, 2025Headlines

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Flashpass and EHRI Launch $2.3M Tuition-Free Healthcare Career Training Initiative in Delaware
Flashpass, EHRI launch $2.3 million health care workforce training program State-funded initiative will offer online training in medical billing, health information technology and other support positions at no cost to participants MILFORD, Del. — Residents of Kent and Sussex counties will have access to tuition-free training for several health care support careers through a $2.3 million workforce development initiative involving Flashpass and Education Health & Research International (EHRI). The program is designed to prepare residents for administrative and technical positions that support doctors, nurses, and other direct-care professionals, including jobs in medical billing and coding, health information technology, patient access, insurance verification, and medical scheduling. Training will be offered online, with additional community support available through EHRI and the Milford Wellness Village. State funding supports workforce development The funding is tied to Delaware’s Rural Health Transformation Program, a broader state initiative aimed at expanding access to care, lowering costs, and strengthening the health care workforce in Kent and Sussex counties. Delaware received approximately $157.4 million in federal funding for the program’s first year. Among the state’s workforce priorities is more than $20.9 million budgeted in the first year to expand training programs for nonphysician health care workers. State officials have said most Rural Health Transformation funding will be distributed through competitive programs and agreements tied to specific projects. Flashpass and EHRI said their initiative is backed by $2.3 million in funding and will focus specifically on making career training more accessible to residents who might otherwise face financial, transportation or scheduling barriers. What is upskilling, and how does it work? Upskilling is the process of helping individuals develop additional skills that qualify them for new responsibilities, more specialized positions or better employment opportunities without necessarily requiring a traditional college degree. For someone already working in a medical office, that could mean learning medical coding or electronic health records management. For someone working in retail, customer service, or another industry, it could mean gaining the administrative and technical knowledge necessary to pursue a health care support position. The Flashpass-EHRI program will use flexible online instruction to allow participants to develop those skills while managing existing work and family responsibilities. The training is especially targeted toward jobs that do not require the years of education associated with becoming a physician or registered nurse but are nevertheless important to keeping medical practices, hospitals and other health organizations operating. “Through flexible online training and hands-on community support at the Milford Wellness Village, this program equips local residents with practical skills for high-demand healthcare careers,” said Rabbi Y. Halberstam, chief strategy officer at EHRI. Halberstam said the partnership is intended to connect residents with employment while helping strengthen the health care workforce in central and southern Delaware. Rural Delaware faces growing health care workforce challenges The initiative comes as state and federal officials are increasingly focused on shortages throughout the health care workforce, particularly outside major metropolitan areas. Federal workforce projections estimate the United States could face a shortage of about 141,160 full-time-equivalent physicians by 2038, with nonmetropolitan communities expected to experience significantly greater shortages than metropolitan areas. Nursing shortages also are projected to hit rural communities disproportionately. The federal National Center for Health Workforce Analysis has projected a 13% shortage of registered nurses in nonmetropolitan areas by 2037, compared with a 6% shortage nationally. The Flashpass-EHRI program does not train physicians or registered nurses. Instead, organizers say it is designed to address another part of the workforce equation: the administrative and technical employees who handle scheduling, insurance, records, billing and patient access and allow clinical staff to concentrate more of their time on care. “As we are seeing right across the country, Delaware has a huge demand for clinical support workers,” Flashpass co-founder Will Hinman said. Hinman said online education could open health care career paths to adults who cannot easily leave work or family responsibilities to attend traditional programs. “Anybody will be able to become a highly skilled healthcare professional without incurring debt, and they’ll be able to qualify for these roles much quicker thanks to our distance learning tools,” he said. Milford Wellness Village expands its role as a training hub EHRI is based at the Milford Wellness Village, a multipurpose health and education campus that includes medical providers, social-service organizations, workforce programs and educational partners. The campus already hosts Delaware State University’s Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, a separate initiative created through a five-year, $5 million federal grant involving Delaware State University and EHRI. That program focuses on strengthening the workforce serving older adults in Kent and Sussex counties. The Flashpass partnership expands that workforce development role into additional health care support occupations. EHRI, founded in 2018, works on health education and community-based programs serving older adults and underserved populations. The nonprofit also participates in chronic-disease education, fall-prevention efforts and other programs through the Milford Wellness Village. Flashpass is an Ohio-founded workforce development company that works with governments and nonprofit organizations to provide publicly funded training rather than charging students tuition. The company has expanded its model into several states and recently raised $4.1 million in private investment, according to the company. Measuring success beyond the classroom For Delaware, the larger question will be how successfully programs such as this translate taxpayer-funded training into workers who remain in Kent and Sussex counties and fill vacancies in the local health care system. Although the program eliminates tuition costs, its longer-term impact will depend on how many residents enroll, complete training, earn recognized credentials and secure jobs with regional employers. The announcement did not specify the number of participants expected to receive training, the duration of individual courses or the employment placement goals associated with the $2.3 million investment. Those measurements could help determine whether the initiative provides a sustainable way to address rural workforce shortages and expand economic opportunities for Delaware residents. The state’s Rural Health Transformation Program specifically identifies growing Delaware’s health care workforce as one of its central goals, alongside expanding access and preparing the health system for future needs. […]
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La Red wins $10.1 million to strengthen health care across Sussex County
The federal award will support medical records, chronic disease care, transportation and connections among health services; La Red’s Milford Wellness Village practice is one of three county locations MILFORD, Del. — La Red Health Center will receive $10.1 million in federal funding to strengthen care for patients across Sussex County, including the communities served by its practice at Milford Wellness Village. Gov. Matt Meyer and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services announced the award Thursday as part of nearly $23 million for Delaware’s three federally qualified health centers. Westside Family Healthcare will receive $11.3 million, and Henrietta Johnson Medical Center will receive $1.29 million. How La Red plans to use the money The largest named technology project is implementation of Epic Community Connect, an electronic medical record system. The award also covers upgrades to La Red’s data systems and cybersecurity. Together, those investments are intended to give care teams better tools to track patients’ needs and coordinate treatment while protecting health information. The funding will support care coordination — helping patients navigate appointments and services when their needs extend beyond one visit or one provider. It will also support more integrated medical, behavioral health, dental and specialty care. For a patient managing several conditions, that could mean a more connected approach to treatment, though the state has not announced specific new services or a timetable for them. Another portion will go toward chronic disease management and remote patient monitoring. Remote monitoring allows a care team to follow certain health information between office visits, where appropriate, instead of relying only on measurements taken during appointments. The state has not specified which conditions La Red will monitor or how many patients will participate. Transportation is also among the funded needs. Getting to an appointment can be an obstacle for rural patients, and La Red already offers transportation assistance as part of its broader effort to connect Sussex County residents with care. The announcement did not say what additional transportation services the award will provide. What it means for Milford La Red operates at 21 W. Clarke Ave. on the former Milford Memorial Hospital campus. It was the first tenant to join Milford Wellness Village and added a six-chair dental center when it moved there, according to village founder Meir Gelley. The practice offers an entry point to primary and preventive care on a campus that brings together health and community services. The new systems and care programs could benefit patients who use that Milford practice. The state, however, described the $10.1 million as an investment in La Red’s work across Sussex County. It did not set aside a stated amount for Milford Wellness Village or announce a construction project there. La Red also operates in Georgetown and Seaford. The award comes through Delaware’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which received about $157.4 million in federal funding for its first year. The state says the wider program includes 15 projects aimed at improving access, controlling costs and strengthening the health care workforce. news.delaware.gov To Go Box What: La Red Health Center has been awarded $10.1 million for care and infrastructure improvements across Sussex County. Planned uses: Electronic medical records, care coordination, remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, cybersecurity, transportation and integrated health services. Milford location: 21 W. Clarke Ave., at Milford Wellness Village. Appointments and information: Call 302-855-1233 or visit laredhealthcenter.org. news.delaware.gov
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Milford Wellness Village to host falls prevention program today
Free afternoon program will offer practical ways to improve balance, build strength and reduce fall risk. MILFORD, Del. — Milford Wellness Village will host a falls prevention education program today, Sept. 23, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at its conference center. The event is open to everyone. The program will bring together local health and rehabilitation providers to discuss steps people can take to stay active and independent. Sessions will cover fall prevention awareness, the role of movement and strength in reducing risk, and ways to get up and down safely. Attendees will hear about a falls reduction program at Polaris Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center and fitness strategies from AquaCare Physical Therapy. A Matter of Balance presentation will focus on getting up and down safely, while short Bingocize activities will add movement between speakers. The afternoon also includes a showing of a Milford Wellness Village video about community support. To Go Box Event: Falls Prevention Education ProgramWhen: Today, Sept. 23, 1:30-3:30 p.m.Where: Milford Wellness Village Conference Center, 21 W. Clarke Ave., MilfordWho can attend: Everyone is welcomeMore information: Contact Lon Kieffer at 302-462-6748 or lkieffer@milfordwellnessvillage.com.
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