Peggy Powell, National Director, PHI Curriculum & Workforce Development Department

PHI has made changes in its executive and program leadership teams and created a Curriculum & Workforce Development Department to help meet the national need for a larger, better trained, and more stable direct-care workforce.

Curriculum & Workforce Development Department

“We created the new Curriculum & Workforce Development Department in direct response to the increased demand for PHI’s expertise in designing employer-based training programs, creating adult learner-centered curricula for direct-care staff, and training trainers,” said PHI President Steven Dawson.

“The projected increase in the direct-care workforce nationwide — more than 1 million net additional staff over the next decade — will require a major expansion of training capacity in this country.

“Yet the workforce crisis behind the direct-care workforce crisis is that the eldercare/disability service sector is wholly unprepared to provide quality training to so many new workers. The charge of our new Curriculum & Workforce Development Department is to develop additional curricula and training tools to help the sector meet this nationwide training challenge,” said Dawson.

New Department’s Leader Chosen

The new department is headed up by PHI Founding Member Peggy Powell, who has most recently served as the organization’s director of workforce strategies.

“As our nation moves toward reforming health care delivery and financing,” said Powell, “creating a higher quality job for direct-care workers through improved training standards and opportunities for career advancement is key to meeting the growing demand for eldercare and disability services.”

Powell is a longtime leader in workforce development who has spearheaded many of PHI’s training development initiatives, including entry-level, peer mentoring, and senior aide programs.

“It’s exciting that PHI is well-positioned to continue our work with the community of long-term care and workforce development stakeholders committed to building a well-trained, compassionate, and stable direct-care workforce,” said Powell.

Additional Leadership Changes

PHI has made additional changes to strengthen its leadership team:

• COO/CFO Jodi Sturgeon is serving as PHI Vice President.
• Sara Joffe has been promoted to the PHI Executive Team where she has taken on the new role of Organizational and Executive Coach. Joffe, who previously directed PHI Training & Organizational Development Services, brings her expertise in coaching, team building, and leadership development to PHI and its affiliated health care agencies.
• Susan Misiorski succeeds Joffe as national director of Training & Organizational Development Services. Misiorski, who was trained as a certified nursing assistant prior to becoming a registered nurse, is an expert in organizational culture change and has directed this initiative for PHI. Ms. Misiorski is also a founding member of the Pioneer Network and was recently re-elected to serve on its board for another term.