A Place for Health Care Professionals to Thrive

A recent study estimates the nation will need to hire 2.3 million new health care workers by 2025. In large part, the sector’s job growth is due to the needs of our rapidly aging population. This trend presents an opportunity for job seekers and for young people when choosing a career path.

Those looking for health care jobs will find them in Fairmont. The city is fortunate to have an array of health care facilities, including specialty care clinics, nursing homes and homes for assisted living. A range of positions are typically available, from home health aides and nursing assistants to registered nurses, lab techs and physicians.

These jobs often offer competitive wages, benefits and other incentives. Connie Hines of the Department of Employment and Economic Development and CareerForce notes that health care employers sometimes offer incentives for new hires, such as bonuses after six months on the job to improve retention.

In addition, some employers are helping to pay for education so employees can climb the career ladder, according to Hines. “A CNA may come in and work for a bit and then want to become an LPN. The employer may help with the cost of LPN or RN training — that seems common in the medical area.”

Lakeview Methodist Health Services is currently advertising positions for RNs, LPNs and CNAs and personal care attendants and offers sign-on bonuses as well as shift differentials. Scholarships and tuition assistance may also be available, depending on the situation.

A recent search of jobs at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont showed several jobs for registered nurses, as well as openings for licensed practical nurses, a physician and physician’s assistant.

Attracting a Great Workforce

Organizations like Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont have recruitment campaigns that focus on the town’s amenities and the reasons it’s a great place to live. Some of these are regionally targeted, often with a focus on drawing those with Midwest ties back to the area.

Amber Hansen is an LPN at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont, where recruiting nurses is a priority. When she was looking for employment, the health system stood out to her because it offered “opportunity for growth and advancement in the future, as well as a benefit package that was an asset for my family.”

Hansen also appreciates the family-friendly community. “I enjoy Fairmont primarily because of the family and friends that we have here. It is a good place to raise children and to stay close to nature,” she says.

Another LPN at Mayo in Fairmont, Kaela Kelley, notes that she appreciates her workplace due to the excellent standard of care patients receive. She also enjoys the “friendliness of the community and the willingness to always lend a helping hand.”

Rural health care facilities have a harder time than their urban counterparts at recruiting and retaining staff for some of the more specialized health care positions. But factors such as quality of life can make a position much more appealing to potential employees.

Amy Long, site administrator at Mayo in Fairmont, points to some recent success with physician recruiting. An OB-GYN physician and a general surgeon recently were signed, and both had Midwest ties.

Dr. Timothy A. Sheneman, who specializes in internal medicine, started at Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont in August of 2018. When friends and former colleagues recommended it, Sheneman was initially quick to dismiss the town as a place he wouldn’t want to live and practice. After continuing to hear positive comments about Fairmont, he decided to apply and interview here — and eventually take a job.

“After visiting Fairmont during the interview, my wife and I found it lovely. There was something different about the people and the sense of community shown in the care of the town that was missing in our current residence,” says Sheneman. “It felt right.”

Sheneman has grown to appreciate Fairmont’s rural quality of life. He likes the lakes and being a day’s drive closer to family. “I’m glad I found this little gem. I almost overlooked it,” he says. “Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont offered me the rural life and the clinical resources in a more robust clinic system I had wanted.”