Why Peoria, IL, Is a Great Place To Grow a Health Care Career
Health care education and training play a critical role in both workforce development and overall quality of life in the Greater Peoria region.
Beyond job creation, a well-trained health care workforce directly impacts the community by improving access to quality care, and according to the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council, health care is the largest industry in the region. As the demand for skilled health professionals continues to grow, health care organizations, such as OSF HealthCare and Carle Health, are partnering with local colleges and universities to create a pipeline to these in-demand careers.
Kami Colvin, the director of nursing for Carle Health Greater Peoria, and Michael Lindsey, respiratory therapist apprentice with OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center, share their educational journeys and why Greater Peoria is a great place for medical professionals to grow their careers.
Where did you receive your training, and how did it prepare you for your current position?
Colvin: When I moved to the Peoria area, I initiated my education at Illinois Central College (ICC). After two years at ICC, I decided I wanted to pursue a degree in nursing, and I was accepted in the bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program at Methodist College. I’m very thankful that there were funds available to me through workforce development grants and scholarships to fund my BSN.
After college, I worked for Methodist Hospital for a while before going back for my master’s degree. Now, I’m working on a doctorate, and both of those degrees were partially funded through Carle Health tuition reimbursement programs.
Lindsey: I started my career in the certified nursing assistant (CNA) program at OSF after moving to Peoria from Florida with my wife. OSF paid for my CNA training and then offered me a signing bonus to work there after I finished.
I originally thought I wanted to go into nursing, but then I overheard coworkers talking about the respiratory therapist apprenticeship program. The program allows me to attend school at ICC full time and have my tuition covered. I work a few hours a week at OSF and then after I graduate, I’ve pledged to work for them for at least three years.
Why are training programs and tuition reimbursement programs so important?
Colvin: There’s a nationwide nursing shortage that we knew was going to hit us way before it actually did. We’re very lucky in the Peoria region because we have several nursing programs and nursing schools that help us keep the pipeline together. Methodist College’s Academic Investment Program covers tuition, book expenses and other fees for qualified students who commit to working at Carle Health for a minimum of two years after graduation and licensure. Then we have our own health care tech and training programs at Carle that help us support and grow our own team to be able to provide the best care. Without tuition reimbursement, I might not have continued my education.
Lindsey: What’s nice about programs like the apprenticeship is that I’m able to fully focus 100% on college. I don’t have to worry about a second job. I can be a full-time dad to my kids. There are a lot of people who wouldn’t be able to afford college without programs like this.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Colvin: What I love most about my job is the influence that I have with people. Right now, I’m no longer in a bedside nurse role, and what that means for me in nursing is I get to care for our nurses and our techs who care for the patients.
Lindsey: I decided to go into health care because I wanted to do something to help people. This program and OSF allow me to do that. One thing that makes OSF different from other businesses is they actually care about the person doing the caring as well as the person being cared for.
What makes the Greater Peoria region a great place for health care professionals to grow their careers?
Colvin: The Peoria area offers so much. We are a little bit of a big city, but a little bit of a small town, as well. There’s so much to do here, and we’re still growing. We are a health care hub, particularly for mental health care.
We recently opened a new mental health hospital for children. If you want to work in post-acute geriatrics, we have a robust number of skilled nursing facilities. If you want that high acuity, high excitement, Carle is a Level II trauma center. There’s always something to learn and do with your career in health care in central Illinois.
Lindsey: What I like most about Peoria is how family friendly it is. The cost of living is low compared to other places, and that makes a big difference for young professionals and growing families.
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