Health Carousel Supports Ugandan Nursing Initiatives Via Investment

Despite recent media reports about an impending global nursing crisis that threatens to deplete the healthcare systems of some developing countries, a leading provider of healthcare workforce solutions is taking a proactive approach to improving the nursing profession and patient care in the African nation of Uganda.

For nearly two decades, Health Carousel, LLC has been working to address the lack of qualified healthcare professionals in the United States. Founded in 2004, the Cincinnati-based company strives to “ensure every American has access to high-quality healthcare when and where they need it. And by doing so, to improve lives and make healthcare better.” Today, its reach extends to other parts of the world, including developing nations where nurses are in short supply and often go unrecognized for their efforts.

Two years ago, Health Carousel partnered with the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation to address this situation by creating the DAISY International Advocate Program. Established in 1999, the DAISY Awards honor the extraordinary work that nurses do for patients and families. The program has expanded to include nurses in foreign countries, especially those whose healthcare systems lack the funding to formally acknowledge nurses’ efforts. Daisy Foundation co-founder Bonnie Barnes helped Health Carousel connect with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU) to administer the awards.

The success of this recognition program led Heath Carousel to inquire about additional efforts it could take to help Ugandan nurses. Conversations with UNMU officials revealed an acute need for specialty-trained nurses in the country, which Health Carousel is addressing through a new professional development initiative in collaboration with UNMU.

About Health Carousel, LLC

Committed to the values of integrity and fairness, Health Carousel strives to raise the bar in providing healthcare solutions to facilities throughout the world and achieves this through continuous improvement, excellence in work, and higher performance. “Our higher purpose at Health Carousel is to improve lives and make healthcare work better. It is our vision that every patient in the United States has access to a qualified healthcare professional when and where they need them through our healthcare staffing solutions.”

The company, which is one of the fastest-growing providers of healthcare staffing in the world, currently has over 600 internal employees and works with thousands of healthcare providers. It has served more than 8.8 million patients worldwide.

In 2021, Health Carousel was recognized by both Staffing Industry Analysts and Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country for the fifth consecutive year. It is also a 7-time winner of a Fast 55 Award for outstanding year-to-year revenue growth. “What inspires me about [this recognition] is it means we are helping more patients than ever have access to a qualified healthcare professional when and where they need them,” says Health Carousel CEO John Sebastian. “I’m so proud of our employees, healthcare professionals, and client-partners for the impact they make every day on improving lives and making healthcare work better.”

Health Carousel Travel Nursing

Among the company’s fastest-growing brands is Health Carousel Travel Nursing, which gives healthcare facilities access to a vast network of highly qualified nurses, therapists, and allied healthcare professionals for short- and long-term assignments. Backed by more than 160 recruiters, a clinically-vetted partner network, and state-of-the-art recruitment tools, Health Carousel is capable of deploying staff anywhere in the country, as needed.

According to Health Carousel’s website, “with Health Carousel Travel Nursing, you gain a dedicated team of clinically-led workforce experts who work on your behalf. Our experienced and CNO-led, Master’s Prepared, board-certified clinical team has more than 100+ combined years of hands-on clinical experience.” The company is a comprehensive resource for healthcare organizations, assisting with everything from screening and interviewing candidates to providing onboarding and training, swiftly delivering services for acute, emergent needs.

Three Health Carousel Travel Nursing brands recently earned a place on Highway Hypodermics’ Top 10 Companies list for excellence in meeting the needs of travel nurses and other contracted healthcare professionals by providing top-of-the-line benefits.

Health Carousel International Network

The Health Carousel International Network also provides much-needed relief for healthcare organizations that are chronically understaffed or using short-term contract labor to fill persistent full-time openings. Its premier program, PassportUSA, has the largest network of highly qualified and credentialed healthcare professionals globally. Candidates average eight years of experience, exceeding the common standards of practice in the United States. Led by an experienced team of CNOs with more than 50 years of clinical experience combined, foreign-educated healthcare professionals benefit from state-of-the-art training that has led to 17-20% higher pass rates on the US English language and nursing licensure exams than the average global healthcare professional.

The Health Carousel International Network continues to set the standard for ethical and quality recruitment worldwide. It is a founding member of the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment (AAIHR) and a Certified Ethical Firm in the recruitment of foreign-educated health professionals by the Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment Practices. It is also the winner of a Gold Seal of Approval for healthcare staffing services from The Joint Commission.

Health Carousel Locum Tenens

Health Carousel Locum Tenens is a locum tenens staffing solution that delivers easier, faster access to a nationwide pool of highly qualified physicians and advanced practice providers. Health Carousel Locum Tenens gives healthcare facilities access to a full suite of locum tenens specialties, dedicated specialty recruiting teams, and technology-led recruiting, credentialing, verification, and onboarding programs.

Taken from a Latin phrase meaning “to hold the place of,” locum tenens refers to temporary physicians who contract with the company to perform medical services for a healthcare organization over a certain period. Using locum tenens professionals to cover temporary assignments helps organizations avoid physician burnout by allowing staff to take time off for self-care and relaxation.

The Health Carousel Locum Tenens brands rely on a team of experts to understand the daily needs and nuances of healthcare specialties. Recruiters work in a specialty practice area and are trained with a deep knowledge of higher acuity specialties. According to the company’s website, “we customize our solution to your needs. We offer permanent, temporary locum tenens and locum-to-perm positions, as well as managed services programs exclusively for healthcare facilities.”

Health Carousel is a proud member of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO) and is committed to maintaining the highest industry standards. It’s also the winner of a Best of Staffing Award for client and talent satisfaction from ClearlyRated, a leading provider of client, talent, and employee satisfaction surveys. “Our locum tenens brands received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 from 87.1% of their physicians and advanced practice providers, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 40%.”

Investing in Ugandan Nurse Recognition and Development

As an industry leader in healthcare staffing, Health Carousel recognizes the need to develop and retain talent within the countries it recruits. Its recent efforts to recognize and develop nurses in Uganda demonstrate the company’s commitment to global nurse sustainability.

Concern about an impending global nursing crisis has been mounting. Earlier this year, CGFNS International published a report titled “Sustain and Retain in 2022 and Beyond” that examines the impact of COVID-19 on the global nursing workforce and sounds the alarm about the worsening shortage of healthcare professionals.

With just 1.2 nurses per 1,000 persons, Uganda ranks in the bottom quartile of the world’s nations. While the country has as many as 60,000 RNs, many of them have not received specialized training in areas like critical care and obstetrics. Seeing an opportunity to help, Health Carousel partnered with UNMU to launch a new training program designed to improve the ability of Ugandan nurses to care for the sickest of patients. In addition to education program licenses, the company provides U.S.-based resources and computers.

The critical care nursing curriculum has been submitted to the country’s ministry of health for official review. If the program is granted accreditation, nurses who successfully complete the training will likely receive a salary increase. At the point of publication, accreditation is not official, but both Health Carousel and UNMU intend to proceed with the program regardless of the outcome.

Like the DAISY Awards presented to UNMU-member nurses in 2021, the critical care training program is aimed at retaining healthcare professionals in the underserved country. “We will no doubt continue to support Ugandan nursing with the DAISY Awards, work hard to make the critical care training successful, and learn what to improve upon,” says Health Carousel Chief Nursing Officer Earl Dalton. “We have already identified other nursing specialties which need attention such as obstetrics and oncology.”

Leading the Way in Ethical and Sustainable Recruitment

Through its travel nursing, international network, and locum tenens brands, as well as the DAISY International Advocate Program, Health Carousel is achieving its goal of being the most ethical recruiter of global healthcare professionals while also ensuring nursing supply sustainability. These efforts are all part of the company’s “Light the Way” initiative.

Since its inception, Health Carousel has maintained its Light the Way program, through which all programs and activities promoting ethical recruitment practices and global nursing sustainability are funneled. “I am not aware of any other company, whose primary undertaking is the global movement of healthcare professionals, that has set a global sustainability benchmark for its organization,” says Health Carousel Co-founder and Chairman Bill DeVille. “If it is happening, it’s a rarity.”

Health Carousel is Recognized by the Community

In addition to being honored for its revenue growth, positive client outcomes, and outstanding marketing campaigns, Health Carousel has received accolades for employee satisfaction and community service.

In 2021, the company was recognized as one of the Healthiest Employers in Ohio and Texas. The company was also named one of the Best Places to Work in Cincinnati in 2021. Sponsored by the Cincinnati Business Courier, this award acknowledges companies and organizations in Greater Cincinnati that are setting the bar for how to keep employees happy and engaged. This was the sixth time Health Carousel has received the honor.

Giving back to the community is another area where Health Carousel excels. For three years in a row, the company has received a Medical Mutual Pillar Award for community service. In 2021, Health Carousel employees volunteered 825 hours and donated $25,000 (personally) and $40,000 (from the company) to increase health equity in local communities. The company also won the 2021 American Staffing Association Care Award for its social impact efforts in giving back to the community through charitable giving and volunteering.

Health Carousel remains committed to remedying the global shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals around the world. In addition to honoring the efforts of nurses through the DAISY Awards, the company continues to provide professional development opportunities for nurses in both developed and developing nations like Uganda with the goal of improving patient care for all who need it.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes