Story Spotlight

Piedmont AHEC is one of the regional AHECs across the state participating in the NC Health Talent Alliance and will focus on Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Montgomery, Orange, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. In July, Piedmont AHEC hired the first person in the state dedicated to the initiative. Dana Millikan joined the team as the Regional TPM Manager and is collaborating with state and regional partners to help remedy the challenges currently threatening the strength of North Carolina’s healthcare sector. With her extensive background in healthcare and project management, Dana will guide employers and education partners through the proven process of TPM.

TPM® (Talent Pipeline Management) is a framework developed by the US Chamber, and it focuses on forming employer-led “collaboratives” that use their regional demand data to form solutions with talent providers. The process encompasses identifying and clearly communicating workforce needs, aggregating demand-driven critical job data, fostering strong partnerships between employers and educators, and employing a robust methodology to ensure alignment and action between all parties involved. Ultimately, the result of this long-term effort culminates in employers receiving a higher volume of quality talent, learners securing access to well-paying careers, and strong relationships with educators.

Piedmont AHEC is excited to join the NC Health Talent Alliance and facilitate the creation of long-term solutions that address workforce shortages within North Carolina’s healthcare sector. Most importantly, the results of this initiative will exemplify the overall mission of the NC AHEC by developing and supporting the workforce to create a healthier North Carolina. Within the next 18 months, the NC Health Talent Alliance will create at least four formalized pilot programs in different regions across the state and within three years the partnership will expand across the entire state. Learn more about the initiative through the May 2023 press release and the TPM one-pager on the NC Chamber website.

Ibram X. Kendi, author of five straight #1 New York Times bestsellers, was the keynote speaker for this year’s conference. An American author, professor, and historian of race and discriminatory policy in America, Kendi was included in Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2020. His relentless and passionate research puts into question the notion of a post-racial society and opens readers’ and audiences’ eyes to the reality of racism in America today.

Formed in 1887 to further the interests of African American physicians, the ONSMS continues to support the interests of minority physicians. The society focuses on educating and advocating for the most vulnerable patients and people residing in communities that consistently produce poorer health outcomes. ONSMS protects the quality of patient care in all North Carolina communities. The mission of the society is succinctly expressed by the ONSMS’s President, Brian Shackleford, MD, “We will work relentlessly to combat the numerous health inequities found in disparate communities in North Carolina. We are stronger as a sum!”

For more information about Old North State Medical Society, visit https://onsms.org/