In the Philippines, the healthcare sector has accelerated their commitments to promoting wellness and delivering innovative healthcare solutions. Among the companies in the industry, global in-house capability center Optum Philippines, has combined clinical expertise, technology, and data to make steps toward improving the health and quality of life of their clients around the world. Its parent company, the UnitedHealth Group, is currently placed in fourth place on the Fortune 500 list, highlighting their strong commitment to healthcare and serving communities worldwide.
Alongside delivering the best care for patients, Optum also seeks to find ways to address the complex challenges the healthcare industry faces. In recent years, they have held the International Nurse Leaders Forum and the Nursing Crunch C-Suite Forum, bringing together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, to learn more about the plight of the nursing workforce. Research presented at the events identified two factors that drive nurses’ decision to either go abroad or leave the profession: pay and benefits, and career progression, an underappreciated driver.
“Upskilling is key to career progression for nurses,” according to Darwin Mariano, Vice President for External Affairs at UnitedHealth Group. “It keeps them updated with technological advancements, enhances patient care and health outcomes, while improving job satisfaction and retention.”
“One of the reasons that drive nurses to look for careers elsewhere is they feel like there isn’t a clear career progression path in their current roles. We hope to see more efforts to clarify what career growth will look like for successful and talented nurses in this country. That’s why at Optum, we cultivate a culture of lifelong learning and do what we can to provide continuing education resources to our own pool of nurses,” he said.
Optum has been providing its clinical talent with free learning resources and free continuing education credits through Optum Health Education, a global online platform with an over 30-year history as an internationally accredited provider of IPCE or inter-professional continuing education.
Last June 2024, Optum Health Education was expanded further to make these resources available to a bigger population outside of the organization, as a way of giving back to the country and Filipino nurses, through Optum Health Education Global.
Optum Health Education Global ultimately hopes to improve patient outcomes by providing the support healthcare workers need to enhance their skills, strategies, and performance in clinical practice.
“Optum Health Education Global offers self-paced courses that are free, flexible, and aligned with the global healthcare standards and practices. The content is developed with the Filipino learner in mind so nurses can choose a course that interests them and will also support professional growth,” Mariano said.
Currently, the platform has 37 courses available, vetted by both the local and global learning teams. Once courses are completed, nurses can earn double credits from the American Nurses Credentialing Center ANCC and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Courses eligible for PRC credits will help qualified frontline nurses, by making it easier and more affordable to meet their interprofessional continuing education (IPCE) requirements. Since their launch, the PRC-accredited programs have already garnered nearly 7,000 learners on the platform and over 1,500 CPD/CE credits have been claimed.
“We are committed to being part of the solution by investing in developing and supporting the Filipino nursing workforce. Through comprehensive training programs made available to all and for our employees, competitive benefits, and a culture of growth and excellence, we aim to empower nurses to thrive in their careers and deliver the highest quality of care to our communities,” Optum Philippines Managing Director Ivic Mueco said in a previous statement.
With a focus on quality care and creating healthier lives for Filipinos, Optum Philippines reiterates its commitment to empowering Filipino nurses, utilizing the platform for the development of the local healthcare industry.
Sources: (for quotes)
https://www.optumhealtheducation.com/content/ohe-2023-executive-summary
BrandRap Talk: Optum Philippines on advancing healthcare workers in the country – YouTube
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