Students outside IHC bus. —courtesy ACE MV 
CNA students and Mass Bay reps at the graduation party at Nomans in June. —courtesy ACE MV 
Island Health staff are participants in different cohorts of the “Intro to Health Professions” seminar over the past few years. Students in classroom (white screen) in scrubs are CNA students in class with Mass Bay instructor/MVH employee Tiffany McCarty last fall. —courtesy ACE MV
The shortage of healthcare professionals is a major concern on the Island. ACE MV offers several programs to address this pressing need, all of which underscore the organization’s central desire. Executive Director Alexandra Bullen Coutts says, “ACE’s role is to provide the entry-level approach to career pathways for anyone who has the interest and aptitude to be successful without needing to have done four years getting a college degree.”
The Island’s health-employment landscape offers opportunities for entry-level positions in a variety of fields — from lab techs to nursing assistants, RNs, mental health professionals, and more. ACE MV partners with the M.V. Hospital, Island Health Care, Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, and other wellness providers to help Island learners build the relationships to develop meaningful careers in allied health.
To get the lay of the land, a first point of entry could be “Intro to Health Professions,” which is offered in collaboration with M.V. Hospital. The community-based career exploration program includes employer panels, site visits, and job-readiness skills. It combines in-person learning, community networking, and professional development with tuition-supported, healthcare-related coursework and training in a variety of thriving Island industries. In addition, the program includes an ACE MV facilitator/advisor, professional development opportunities, networking, and job placement support.
There is a certification program for home healthcare aides. Bullen Coutts says, “There is a critical need from families and individuals who are looking for caregivers who will come into their homes and care for an aging relative or family member with disabilities. We are working with both Navigator Homes and the hospital to build more robust pipelines. It’s coming at a time when they are hoping to move from having a traveling-staffed facility to a more local workforce.”
The certified nursing assistant (cna) training offered through MassBay Community College is a certification program that prepares students to sit for the state licensure exam. CNAs are required to pass state exams to be certified and, in turn, to be hired by skilled nursing facilities. The program includes virtual instructional hours two nights a week, in-person labs at MVRHS, and clinical hours at Navigator Homes and the hospital.
Tiffany McCarty, an RN and nursing educator at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, teaches the skills portion. Examples include safely ambulating a patient, taking vital signs, emptying Foley catheters, transferring patients from a bed to a wheelchair, and assisting with daily living tasks.
McCarty says, “The biggest thing students come away with is a sense of a new start. Some people have been doing a job that doesn’t lead to further advancement in their careers. This certificate is a starting point for determining whether they want to enter the healthcare field. Then we can help them forge a path if they want to go on to get an LPN or RN while still being able to provide for their families. It’s hard, as an adult, to go to school and try to make ends meet. I want to show them that this can be a steppingstone if there’s something else they’re interested in. For some people, that might be radiology rather than nursing in particular. We’ve had some people show interest in phlebotomy, so this is to open their eyes to other things that are available here on Island.”
Cherise Neil, who graduated from the program last year, and is currently working as a CNA, says, “Starting from here can lead to different health fields. Doing the course has taught me a lot about different types of illnesses like dementia and Parkinson’s.”
ACE is launching a new program, “Introduction to Case Management.” It’s a certificate program given through Boston University’s School of Social Work. Bullen Coutts says, “This is a partnership with Community Services that has come about to strengthen the pipeline of people who are interested in either behavioral health direct care or case management work with disability and older adult populations.”
With a growing need for healthcare professionals on Island, ACE MV’s array of offerings is a good place to start exploring various career paths that are available.
If you are interested in exploring careers in healthcare, email izadora@acemv.org, or visit acemv.org/health.
