Behind every community health center visit is a dedicated team—community health workers bridging language and cultural gaps, front desk staff welcoming patients as they check in, and health care providers offering support. Yet across Oregon, the increasing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified health care professionals who make this care possible are not just affecting the health centers, but also the communities they serve. Burnout, workforce shortages, limited training pipelines, and increasingly competitive job markets are straining health centers’ ability to meet current and emerging needs of patients.

At OPCA, we are deeply committed to stewarding community health alongside Oregon’s CHCs by supporting the well-being of health care professionals. That’s why we’re investing in workforce development services that support, grow, and sustain a resilient, engaged, community-centered workforce—one that reflects the people it serves and is equipped to meet the needs of their community.

To illustrate OPCA’s strategy in developing and supporting an engaged workforce, I sat down with my colleagues on the Programs team to learn of initiatives and services available to members.

To start our conversation, I asked my colleagues to share a little about themselves:

In summary, OPCA is committed to a workforce development strategy that reflects our core values of collaboration, guided by integrity, and strengthened through data. A resilient, skilled, and supported health care workforce is the backbone of community-driven, community-centered care. Our dedication to these values can be seen in (1) how our staff engage Oregon’s community health centers, educational partners, and community-based organizations; (2) the use of data collection to identify workforce challenges and inform sustainable solutions; and OPCA’s offerings of health professional education and training to enhance care teams’ ability to deliver care. As we concluded our conversation, Stephanie shared some parting words for members: