TPM Industry Collaboratives

The healthcare collaborative determined the geographical area of the initial TPM efforts to be the Greater Sacramento Region. To determine the focus of the collaborative, the healthcare collaborative identified which positions entailed the following: High Need, High Capacity, High ROI Impact, and High Urgency. The results of this survey concluded the following positions: Technicians, Skilled Nurses, and Mental Health Professionals.

The healthcare collaborative chose Technician positions to focus on first. The following five technician positions have been examined: Surgical Technician, Ultrasound Technician, Pharmacy Techician, Cardiovascular Technician, and Radiology Techician.

The healthcare collaborative completed a demand projection assessment for the five previously identified technician positions. The following is the compiled demand assessment results from the five healthcare collaborative members. 

Upon further review of technician programs in the Greater Sacramento Region, it was discovered the region is lacking technician programs offered at the community college level. The technician programs offered locally are mostly offered at private universities, which can cost between $20,000 and $60,000 in tuition, making the one-year certification unattainable for many individuals, especially those in disadvantaged communities. As well as the prohibitive cost of tuition, the certification programs that do exist within our region do not have a large enough capacity to fill the current and projected demand. 

On October 20th, 2023, January 19th, 2024, and March 8th, 2024, the TPM Healthcare Collaborative met with leaders from Sierra College and Los Rios Community College District to discuss the potential launch of technician certification programs. 

The following interest was expressed by the local community colleges: Sierra College-Surgical Technician Program, Consumes River College- Surgical Technician Program, Folsom Lake College- Radiology Technician Program, Sacramento City College- Cardiovascular Technician Program. 

Through the convening of the healthcare systems and local community college representatives, the following were identified as potential roadblocks in launching new, innovative programs: cost of equipment and lab space, lack of instructors, difficulty placing students for clinical hours, and accreditation standards. 

Cost of Equipment: The Roseville Chamber completed a cost analysis for the cost of equipment for a Surgical Technician program, based on the required materials outlined by the Accreditation Standards. The cost of equipment can range from $200k – $300k for a Surgical Technician Program. The healthcare collaborative members, local community college representatives, and Roseville Area Chamber staff are looking into regional grant opportunities to fund technician programs. 

Lack of Instructors: Community colleges expressed difficulty in hiring instructors. On top of instructors required to meet various requirements, pay is a large factor in the lack of instructors. Medical professionals would take a substantial pay cut if they chose to teach a technician program at a community college instead of staying in the medical field. The healthcare collaborative members, local community college representatives, and Roseville Area Chamber staff are looking into various funding opportunities to subsidize the difference in pay and incentivize teaching.

Clinical Placements: The community colleges expressed difficulty in placing students in clinicals, due to the healthcare systems being busy. The healthcare collaborative members are working to identify ‘Clinical Placement Champions’ at each of their medical sites to ensure proper time and dedication is given to ensure clinical placement of students. 

Accreditation Standards: The community colleges are aware of the accreditation requirements for technician certification programs. The community colleges have expressed that accreditation may take time- one to two years. The healthcare collaborative members and Roseville Chamber staff have expressed interest in helping should the colleges face difficulty regarding the accreditation process. 

The Healthcare Collaborative and representatives from local community colleges plan to continue to convene bimonthly to discuss challenges and identify opportunities while navigating launch of Technician Programs at a Community College level within the Greater Sacramento Region.