Cedars-Sinai: Addressing Workforce Risks Through a New School

Located in Los Angeles, a diverse and expensive city of 3.8 million residents, Cedars-Sinai Health System seeks to hire and retain a qualified workforce that reflects its patient population. Research shows that concordance of a person's ethnicity with their clinical care team improves outcomes and reduces health disparities. Across the nation and at Cedars-Sinai, the pandemic exacerbated already existing workforce shortages and challenges to hiring, training, and retaining allied health workers. In September 2021, leaders at Cedars-Sinai began exploring ways to address these potential workforce risks to its operations. Through interviews with stakeholders and thorough analysis of Cedars-Sinai and local workforce and educational data, the decision was made to launch an allied health school. The goal of the program is to help fill the pipeline to meet the highest areas of need and provide opportunities for community members and existing Cedars staff to upgrade their skills and earning power.