Upper Valley partnership tackles CNA shortage with paid training program

LEAVENWORTH – Through a partnership between Cascade Medical and Mountain Meadows Senior Living, the Upper Valley Nursing Assistant-Certified (NAC) Training Program offers paid training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

“Our program is focused on equitable access…Not everybody can take work off for five weeks to go to a CNA training class, so their wages are paid, there's no tuition, their uniform and their book are all included in the process,” said Mountain Meadows Executive Director Amanda Ledezma.

CNAs play a vital role in healthcare facilities, working under the direct supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN). They provide basic care to patients, and are often the eyes and ears of nurses. CNA positions are a popular career path for those looking for flexible schedules, as well as those looking to eventually become an RN.

“They're kind of your first and your last entrance into the hospital. They're usually the ones that are the first ones in there to greet the patient when they're coming into the room. They're the ones coming in most frequently in the room…They're the ones providing that comfort and that reassurance and that assistance,” said Melissa Grimm, Cascade Medical Chief of Human Resources.

Nationwide, there’s an ongoing shortage of registered nurses across hospitals and care facilities. The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis projects Washington state will have a shortfall of over 22,000 RNs by 2036. 

Nursing homes are also seeing a nationwide staffing shortage, with 72 percent of nursing homes saying their current workforce levels are lower than pre-pandemic levels, according to American Health Care Association’s 2024 State of the Nursing Home Sector report. In this report, 94 percent of facilities said it is difficult to recruit new staff, with 67 percent of facilities citing a lack of interested or qualified candidates as an extremely big obstacle. 

In rural areas such as the Upper Valley, finding qualified CNAs can be especially challenging, due to limited access to training programs. The closest CNA program is offered at Wenatchee Valley College, where tuition and fees total over $1,600, with three-hour classes in the middle of the day, four days a week, in a standard quarter. 

“Those classes are extremely competitive, because the nursing students that are going to nursing school are required to either have their CNA or they're required to have taken the course…So they've got all of these nursing students that are taking the spots in the CNA classes, and they may or may not ever work as a CNA,” said Ledezma.

After completing a training program, getting tested to become state certified can be an additional challenge. Post-pandemic, the Washington State Department of Health is experiencing a large credentialing backlog, with limited test proctors and testing sites.

“People are scheduling for tests, and then the tester calls out sick, so you're another three months down. Well, you're six months out of your training class. You've forgotten things,” said Grimm.

In terms of finding and retaining CNAs, Mountain Meadows faces a unique series of challenges, from the physically and emotionally demanding nature of working in long-term care, to the high cost of living.

“We’re competing for the Wenatchee workforce, because there's just not a lot of workforce here for this industry. Also, the people that are working in this job oftentimes can't afford to live in Leavenworth,” said Ledezma.

Without enough local staff, the senior care center must consider overtime, and utilize agencies to recruit employees from areas as far as Moses Lake. This results in higher costs, more burnout, and less personal relationships between the residents and staff. 

While Mountain Meadows was in need of more CNAs, Cascade Medical was looking to create more equitable, educational avenues, especially for RNs. The two organizations came together to design the Upper Valley NAC Training Program, in which students receive paid training and free tuition for five and a half weeks. The program is also able to administer the test at the end, eliminating the state’s wait time.

“It's done in a way that removes all of the traditional barriers for people who are looking at this as a possible, potential career path…Because of where people are in their lives, if they want to do it, we've created the opportunity for them to do it,” said Clint Strand, Director of Public Relations at Cascade Medical.

This summer, the program had its first four graduates, with one from Cascade Medical, and three employees at Mountain Meadows who had not yet been certified. The program will start training another round of prospective CNAs on Sept. 24. 

“We're looking to support that workforce for not just ourselves and Cascade Medical, but also for people that need in-home care, and for people that need care that are maybe at an adult family home,” said Ledezma.

Those interested in the program can reach out to amandal@mountainmeadowsliving.org and melissag@cascademedical.org for more information.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media