Across Arizona, the workforce that supports people who require long-term care is stretched thin. A survey from the Arizona Health Care Association (AHCA) found that 81% of the state’s long-term care facilities have open direct care positions, in part driven by a lack of qualified applicants. Facilities reported licensed beds going unused because of a lack of direct care staff including RNs, LPNs and CNAs.

Workforce shortages have an outsized impact on rural communities, which have fewer direct care workers compared to urban communities.¹ As demand for long-term care services grows across the state, strengthening the pipeline of professionals is essential to ensuring Arizonans can access the care they rely on.

Turning frontline jobs into careers

To help grow and retain the long-term care workforce, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona has committed $150,000 to the Arizona Health Care Association’s scholarship program. Administered through the Arizona Health Care Foundation, the funds provide scholarships to frontline staff in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities statewide.

The scholarship program aims to invest in retention within the local workforce by creating clear paths to advancement, including nursing, nutrition and administrative roles. The investment from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Arizona will provide scholarships to 100 employees at AHCA member facilities to pursue formal education in health care and long-term care.

Building the long-term care workforce from within

Behind each scholarship is a frontline worker who is currently caring for Arizonans. For many, the scholarship removes financial barriers to obtaining a credential or degree to advance in their careers. Hear from Roberta Carr, who has spent more than a decade building her career in long-term care: