While most services identified as vital are not yet in place at Healthy Village, Delaware Hospice is already providing hospice and respite care, and NovaCare Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy. St. Francis Hospital also has an existing partnership with West End Neighborhood House called Cornerstone West Community Development Corporation (CDC) to provide housing for low and moderate-income families and now, as a part of Healthy Village’s commitment to senior care, the corporation is developing plans to add senior housing atop the hospital’s parking garage with a skyway bridge to connect the two facilities.
Additional plans include addressing the health care staffing shortage and the community’s desire for education and job training, according to Schonewolf.
She explained that Healthy Village’s education programs would allow someone who is working to move on from substance abuse or someone who has aged out of foster care to gain valuable, hands-on training in the hospital.
“NovaCare [is] having a really hard time employing homegrown individuals from Wilmington to work there,” Schonewolf said. “So, they’re very interested because they want to be able to mentor and to help these students to learn about physical therapy or occupational therapy.”
There will be training for many non-medical related careers found in a hospital setting such as food service, environmental services and public safety constables, and there will also be training that culminates in certifications for certain medical positions.
“We’re struggling across the country with a shortage of nurses. [Due to] a shortage of CNAs, [it] definitely would be advantageous to grow our own employees out of our communities,” said Schonewolf.
To address the local shortage, St. Francis Hospital is currently in talks with two Catholic high schools to create an education center inside the hospital where they hope to develop middle school and high school students’ interest in the health care field. High school students would receive mentoring and training while working towards earning professional certifications while still in high school.