Sunshine Health and United HomeCare Join Forces to Address Home Health Labor Shortage in South Florida

Learn & Work™ program to provide home health aide training at no cost to South Florida community residents interested in pursuing a career in home healthcare

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunshine Health is partnering with United HomeCare® (UHC) to recruit and train home health aides in South Florida to ensure people have the community supports and services they need to retain as much independence and quality of life as possible.

Staffing in home care agencies was difficult prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to be a challenge. The collaboration between Sunshine Health and UHC will provide free training to South Florida residents to help them jumpstart a career in healthcare, and expand the number of people in the community who will have access to home health care supports to help them live safely at home.

Sunshine Health's support of UHC's training program, known as Learn & Work™ "Collaborating for a Better South Florida," will provide access to education and required trainings to help more than 100 people become certified home health aides at no cost to them. Classes will be held in-person at Sunshine Health's Broward County and Miami-Dade County Welcome Rooms. After completing 52 hours of training, program graduates are immediately placed by United HomeCare to provide personal care to patients with complex needs in their own homes. 

"At United HomeCare, we're passionate about providing the necessary skills and training for workers that provide much-needed care to patients in their homes," said Carlos L. Martinez, President and CEO of United HomeCare. "We're grateful to Sunshine Health for partnering with us in this endeavor and providing our South Florida residents the opportunity to pursue a career in this critically needed healthcare field."

"We are committed to investing in the sustainability of the healthcare industry as a whole to increase access to quality, equitable care for our communities," said Nathan Landsbaum, Sunshine Health President and CEO. "The demand for home healthcare has increased significantly, and I'm thrilled to be partnering with United HomeCare. This investment in the healthcare workforce will ultimately benefit our most vulnerable and underserved communities by providing them access to care where they are."

Sunshine Health remains committed to providing residents with complex medical needs enrolled in Florida's Long Term Care system access to the supports they need in their homes to improve their quality of life and keep them living in their desired community setting for as long as possible. By supporting programs like United HomeCare's Learn & Work™  and the recently expanded Sunshine Health Works program, the health plan continues to bolster the state's healthcare industry so all Floridians can have access to quality healthcare and increased workforce opportunities.

Applications are being accepted for this training through Jan. 30, 2023 for the first certification program, which will be held in Broward County. To apply, visit empleos.unitedhomecare.org and enter reference code SUNUHC2023 when prompted. Courses are also available without certification through the Learn and Work Program.

About Sunshine Health

Headquartered in Broward County and with offices across the state, Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida. Offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members, Sunshine Health is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. Sunshine Health is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise. It offers government-sponsored managed care through Medicaid, Long Term Care, the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), and Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare). Its specialty plans include the Child Welfare Specialty Plan serving children in or adopted from the state's Child Welfare system; the Serious Mental Illness Specialty Plan for people living with serious mental illness; and the Children's Medical Services Health Plan, operated by Sunshine Health on behalf of the Florida Department of Health for children and adolescents with special healthcare needs. For more information, visit SunshineHealth.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter @SunHealthFL.

About United HomeCare

United HomeCare® (UHC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization born of United Way Miami with a history of nearly half a century helping families care for their aging relatives and transforming the landscape of home and community services by promoting independence and quality of life for older adults, disabled adults, and family caregivers. A trusted industry leader known for pioneering advances in home care programs, disease management services, and educational support programs for seniors, UHC is a State of Florida Designated Teaching Agency for Home and Community-Based Care, Designated Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) Case Management Lead Agency, Alzheimer's Disease Initiative Agency for Florida's Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI), Managed Long Term Care Home Care Services Provider, and United Way Miami Impact Partner that holds a market leadership position in Miami-Dade County since 1973, and currently serves Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Broward counties. UHC is dedicated to helping you or someone you love live at home independently—because "There's just no place like home."  For more information about how you can help United HomeCare® in our mission of caring and about our available services to Miami-Dade and Broward residents, call (305) 716-0710 (Miami-Dade) or (954) 463-1100 (Broward). For information about UHC's Learn & Work™ Program call (305) 764-2203. Or, visit unitedhomecare.com, avusconnect.org, or [email protected] or follow us on Facebook UnitedHomeCareMiami and Twitter @UnitedHomeCare1.

SOURCE Sunshine Health