NMRC-PAE Foreign-Trained Health Professional Licensing Pilot Project Report

Published October 30, 2020

New Report Provides Framework for Upskilling Maine’s Foreign Trained Health Professionals

The New Mainers Resource Center (NMRC) at Portland Adult Education (PAE) has released a report with findings and recommendations aimed to reduce the barriers that foreign trained health professionals face in obtaining employment in the healthcare field. 

Pilot Project Purpose: The purpose of the NMRC-PAE Foreign Trained Health Professional Licensing Pilot Project Report was to research ways to increase diversity and cultural competence of the health workforce by identifying strategies to reduce the barriers that foreign trained health professionals face in accessing training, licensing, and obtaining employment in the healthcare field at the fullest scope of their experience and training as possible. This report presents the findings and recommendations that are based on that research.

The recommendations from this report come at a critical time as Maine’s healthcare systems struggle with COVID-19 and disparity in health continues among minority populations. Establishing quicker and more cost-effective pathways for immigrant healthcare professionals to return to practice could result in a significant increase in the diversity and cultural competency of the state’s healthcare workforce which is one way to begin addressing these health disparities.

Implementation of the recommendations in the report will address the states need for healthcare workers in a number of ways. Implementation of the recommendations should:

• Help foreign trained healthcare workers reach their highest potential
• Address the state’s goal to achieve a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce
• Meet the needs of healthcare employers, and address the state’s healthcare workforce shortages
• Attract skilled healthcare workers to Maine.

Funding for the Foreign Trained Health Professional Licensing Pilot Project research came from the Maine Health Access Foundation.

For more information or questions about the report, get in touch!