The NEW Healthcare Alliance was recently formed to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem within the New North region through collaboration between healthcare professionals, organizations and community partners.
It is executing a three-pronged work program around healthcare workforce solutions, next generation engagement and clinical excellence.
“With its leadership in place and standing committees actively convening, we are excited by the possibilities of the NEW Healthcare Alliance,” says Rebecca Deschane, overseer of the Alliance as vice president of talent development for New North Inc. “Early engagement shows strong regional buy-in and positions the Alliance to advance scalable healthcare talent pipelines, and to align education and industry partners around shared priorities.”
Sarah Hutchinson, with more than a decade in operations and human resources as a member of the United States Marine Corps, leads the day-to-day implementation of the NEW Healthcare Alliance as its project manager.
Inspire Wisconsin, a Sheboygan-based statewide organization, supports the Alliance’s healthcare career exploration programming. Healthcare workforce solutions center on addressing critical workforce shortages through recruitment and retention strategies. Next generation engagement focuses on expanding career exploration opportunities for students, while creating pathways for the next generation of healthcare professionals.
For those already working in the healthcare industry, clinical excellence provides high-quality clinical learning experiences, fosters strong partnerships with healthcare facilities and enhances preceptor support and training.
The alliance has established recurring virtual meetings of its four standing subcommittees to ensure consistency, engagement and progress across focus areas.
- The Steering Committee, led by New North’s Deschane, guides strategy, alignment and grant oversight.
- The Healthcare Career Exploration & (K-12) Pathways Committee, with support from Inspire Wisconsin, focuses on K-12 career awareness, employer engagement and alignment of school-based initiatives across the region. It meets from 12-1 p.m. on the third Monday of each month.
- The Healthcare Talent Attraction, Development & Retention Committee, led by Hutchinson, centers around regional recruitment strategies, workforce retention, unified messaging, and partner-identified talent priorities. It meets at 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month.
- The Clinical Services & Engagement Committee, also led by Hutchinson, focuses on expanding and improving clinical placements, addressing barriers, and strengthening coordination between education and healthcare partners.
Those seeking to become involved with the NEW Healthcare Alliance can express their interest through the NEW Healthcare Alliance New Member Form.
The NEW Healthcare Alliance also is holding an in-person strategic symposium Aug. 5, from 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Culver Family Welcome Center on the UW Oshkosh campus.
