PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Melissa Jarvis-Prieto
323-761-8888 x8911

JVS/JH ADDRESSES NURSING SHORTAGE
Innovative Program Trains Welfare Recipients for Long-Term Careers

(LOS ANGELES) By 2020, the nation will face a shortage of almost half a million nurses. Vacancy rates for licensed Certified Nurse Assistants in California hospitals and nursing homes are almost 80%. JVS, in partnership with the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging, has an innovative solution to this growing problem. JVS' program takes an often-overlooked population (long-time welfare recipients) and trains them for life-long careers in the nursing industry. And more importantly, participants receive a salary and full benefits while undergoing training, making the transition from welfare-to-work much faster, and easing the burden on taxpayers.

Participants receive more than 230 hours of on-the-job training at the Jewish Home, along with 150 hours of classroom study. The success of this program has been due in part to health-care oriented ESL classes, as well as six months of post employment services such as case management, mentoring, career enhancement and job retention seminars.

"Right now, we're seeing a high turnover in this industry. Many nurses are overworked due to the healthcare shortage. Our CNA program gives people long-term career solutions and keeps them employed," said Claudia Finkel, COO of JVS.

More than 98% of participants pass the CNA State Board exam. Graduates are also guaranteed employment with the Jewish Home.

"Without this program, I would not be able to help my family," said Oksana Shegelman, a participant in the program. "JVS and the Jewish Home gave me the opportunity to become financially independent. I know where this first step will lead me in the future."

JVS and the Jewish Home also plan to expand this program to the next level, by implementing training programs to move participants into LVN positions.

"We started this program a year ago in response to the lack of qualified healthcare workers," said Finkel. "And as the population ages, the need for reliable healthcare will only increase."

Since 1931, Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), a non-profit, non-sectarian organization, has been helping people find work, gain professional skills and redirect their careers. JVS provides an array of career counseling, job search and employer consulting services from offices in Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and the San Fernando Valley. As part of JVS' direct business services, JVS assists companies in finding qualified employees and accommodating people with disabilities. In addition, JVS offers mentoring and career programs for women, welfare recipients, students, refugees and immigrants. Annually, JVS serves more than 13,000 people in greater Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.jvsla.org.

Founded in 1912, the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging is a not-for-profit organization currently celebrating 90 years of continuous service to the community. Among its resident population of 800, the vast majority are dependent upon government programs and the generosity of Jewish Home donors to provide for their care. The Jewish Home is known throughout the world for the quality of care it provides, and as a preferred training site for the UCLA School of Medicine's gerontology fellows. The Home is also an important partner in the university's world-class gerontological research, conducted with the Jewish Home through the Home's on-site Borun Center. The Jewish Home recently opened a state-of-the-art Alzheimer's care and research center on the Eisenberg Campus. It is the first of a number of new and upgraded facilities to be brought into service by the Jewish Home as part of an important $72 million capital campaign.

The Jewish Home receives no funding from national charitable organizations. Instead it relies upon donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to continue its remarkable work. For more information, visit the Jewish Home website: www.jha.org.

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