- Mid-career switchers to receive funding support and training under the Professional Conversion Programme offered by Workforce Singapore (WSG), in partnership with Ministry of Health
- SingHealth and Republic Polytechnic to develop new Specialist Diploma in Transitional Care Management
Singapore, 27 June 2017 – SingHealth Regional Health System (RHS) today launched the Care Coordinator Associate (CCA) programme to build a pipeline of healthcare staff to strengthen care delivery in the community.
Role of the SingHealth’s Care Coordinator Associate
CCAs at SingHealth will play a vital role in coordinating and navigating patient care. Working alongside the multidisciplinary care team, they will journey with patients with multiple chronic conditions to ensure that they are well-supported even after their discharge from the hospital. These would be patients who require basic nursing and functional support.
CCAs will conduct telephone follow-ups and home visits based on the discharge care plan drawn up by SingHealth Patient Navigators, who are registered nurses well-versed in clinical assessment, navigation and coordination across different care settings.
During the home visits, CCAs will help to ensure that patients and their caregivers comply with the discharge care plan, assess home safety and falls risk of patients, educate them on lifestyle and dietary changes, and connect them to social support services such as home and day care, financial assistance and meals-on-wheels.
Professor Fong Kok Yong, Deputy Group CEO (Regional Health and Medical), SingHealth, said, “As the main liaison between patients and health and social care providers, Care Coordinator Associates are instrumental in ensuring that patients transit smoothly from one care setting to another. By keeping a close eye on patients post-discharge, the care team can spot complications early and intervene before they worsen, helping patients to remain well-supported in the community.”
Integrating Health and Social Care Coordination
Training will be administered by SingHealth Academy and conducted by SingHealth Patient Navigators. The three-month, full-time course will allow trainees to learn through problem-based case scenarios and gain hands-on community health and social experiences.
Upon completion, trainees will be awarded the Certificate in Integrated Care by SingHealth Academy. They will be employed by health and social care agencies to provide care coordination and navigation for patients who are discharged to the community. The first intake of up to 20 trainees will commence their training in September 2017.
Skills Conversion and Funding Support for Mid-Career Singaporeans
In an effort to encourage Singaporeans to make a mid-career switch into the healthcare sector as CCAs, the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP), under Workforce Singapore’s Adapt and Grow initiative, and in partnership with MOH will help to fund up to 90 per cent of the training fees. The remaining portion will be covered by participating employers.
Interested applicants will need to be hired by participating employers before undergoing training to take on the CCA role. Applications for the first intake of CCAs are open from now till 31 July 2017.
More details are available at:
- WSG website: http://www.wsg.gov.sg/programmes-and-initiatives/professional-conversion-programmes/care-coordinator-associates.html and
- SingHealth Academy website: https://www.singhealthacademy.edu.sg/Pages/pcp-care-coordinator-associate.aspx
Building a Sustainable Pipeline
SingHealth is also partnering Republic Polytechnic (RP) to develop a new Specialist Diploma in Transitional Care Management. The part-time programme, which commences in October 2017 at Republic Polytechnic, will provide students the opportunity to join SingHealth as CCA Executives upon completion.
In addition, SingHealth is working with RP to incorporate a Transitional Care module into the curriculum of RP’s Diploma in Health Services Management. The module will commence in October 2018 for Year 2 students. Holders of the diploma may join SingHealth as Senior CCAs.
Mr Seto Lok Yin, Republic Polytechnic’s Deputy Principal (Industry Services), said, “We are delighted to partner SingHealth to develop healthcare manpower to meet growing demand for care delivery. The new Specialist Diploma in Transitional Care Management is designed to train healthcare professionals to work alongside a multidisciplinary team in coordinating health and social support systems so that patients transit seamlessly from hospitals to their communities. Together with SingHealth, we also designed a new Transitional Care module to augment the Diploma in Health Services Management curriculum. RP students pursuing this programme will be equipped to take on wider roles in the healthcare industry upon graduation.”
Tags:
;
;
;
;
Press Release;
;
SingHealth;
;
;
;
;
;
;
Regional Health System