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S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 / W O R K F O R M E 19 from a lack of resources, mean- ing that more responsibilities fall on the shoulders of current providers. However, rural com- munities are perfect for pro- fessionals who want to see the direct impact of their work in their own communities. "One of the things that we talk about a lot in recruitment efforts is that sense of commu- nity and belonging. You are lit- erally serving your friends and neighbors," MacLaren says. "It takes a certain type of person to want to be that embedded in a community and delivering care under those circumstances." Gone are the days of just post- ing job openings on websites and expecting results. The recruit- ment team at Northern Light uses a multitude of methods to actively reach out and engage prospective employees. Targeted social media posts, podcasts, story sharing and engagement surveys with current staff are all part of the hospital's multi-faceted strategy to recruit and retain long-term talent. According to MacLaren, in ad- dition to ensuring employees have the right credentials and profes- sional acumen, the team also looks at the candidate as a whole and works with the individual to see what role and location they would most likely thrive in. "We really have a holistic approach. Who is this person that we're looking to recruit? What are they looking for?" she explains."We have a pretty large footprint all the way from South Portland up to Presque Isle, out to Greenville, and then out to Blue Hill, we have all these en- tities. So, when we are talking with candidates who have the credentials we're looking for, we really try to work with them to find the best fit, because we want people to stay and be part of our community." Career development, job coaching, and furthering edu- cation are initiatives that both Northern Light and MaineHealth are using to attract providers who want a future in healthcare. Northern Light's Sponsorships pay providers full-time while financing their studies to be- come RNs, CNAs, medical assis- tants, EMS workers, and more, thereby creating their own pool of trained professionals. Northern Light Health also received a federal grant via the Northern Border Regional Commission to train respiratory therapists in the rural parts of Maine through a partnership with Kennebec Valley Commu- nity College. MaineHealth efforts MaineHealth is also implement- ing creative recruiting strate- gies. "One of the key priorities at MaineHealth is looking at ways to continue recruiting to our current needs, but also to start looking futuristically about what our needs are going to be and how we're going to build that pipeline moving forward," says Helene Kennedy, MaineHealth's vice president of talent acquisi- tion and workforce. In addition to MaineHealth's "earn as you learn" programs which offers paid trainings, tu- ition reimbursement, and appren- ticeships to care members, the hospital system is also targeting high schoolers who envision a future in healthcare. Events like the Scrub Club in Farmington, or the virtual program Inside Medi- cine, show students what life is like as a clinical professional and provide future career connections. MaineHealth is not just forming outside partnerships, they are also looking inside their organization. About 30% of their current hires came from employee referrals. In rural areas, patients may face barriers to medical access such as lack of transportation and health literacy. This makes it imperative to find staff mem- bers who understand the unique challenges of rural health care, especially when long-term pro- viders retire or move away leav- ing a void on small teams. One of the things that we talk about a lot in recruitment efforts is that sense of community and belonging. You are literally serving your friends and neighbors. It takes a certain type of person to want to be that embedded in a community and delivering care under those circumstances. — Catharine MacLaren Northern Light Health Catharine MacLaren C O N T I N U E D O N F O L LO W I N G PAG E » P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F N O R T H E R N L I G H T H E A L T H In a competitive job market, Maine hospitals are adopting innovative hiring strategies and investing in educational development to attract and retain staff. P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F N O R T H E R N L I G H T H E A L T H W o r k f o r c e

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