UCHealth – Ascend Career Program
In recent years, all hospitals have experienced challenges in recruiting and retaining staff. In response, and to provide new opportunities for employees, UCHealth created the Ascend Career Program (ACP). The ACP allows employees to develop skills needed to provide the best in patient care while pursuing their own individual career growth plans, pathways, and goals. Employees at all of UCHealth’s 14 hospitals and hundreds of clinic locations are eligible to participate.
The program enables those in entry-level and other positions to gain certifications and higher degrees while progressing into professional, higher income positions that will improve the quality of life for their families and the community. This social mobility is supporting UCHealth’s mission of improving lives.
Some specifics of the program include the following:
- Provide continuing education benefits for employees who work 20 hours or more per week.
- For specific degrees and credentials, the organization may cover up to 100% of tuition, books, and other fees.
- For other educational programs, the organization may cover up to $5,250 of pre-paid tuition reimbursement each calendar year.
The program delivered numerous successes, including:
- 728 approved applications for education assistance.
- 214 enrolled in February 2024 BSN cohort.
- 70 enrolled in medical assistant programs.
- 41 enrolled in patient care assistant programs.
- 62% of enrollees identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).
To learn more about the Ascend Career Program, please contact David Mafe, Chief Diversity Officer and VP of Human Resources ([email protected]) at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.
