CaroNova Codesigns Accelerator to Improve Workforce Experience of Healthcare Professionals in the Carolinas

Workforce Experience Accelerator pilot programs underway at 11 sites in North and South Carolina

The CaroNova Workforce Experience Accelerator (WFEA) aims to transform the workforce experience and reduce turnover for health professionals in the Carolinas by focusing on retention strategies that prioritize personal well-being, promote workplace efficiency, and facilitate a culture of wellness.

The WFEA project began in 2024 as a partnership with CaroNova, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA), and The Duke Endowment. The initial goal was to examine the contributing factors and root causes of burnout and fulfillment for healthcare professionals and identify proven strategies and innovative solutions. The next task was to launch an early adopters’ program for health systems to test and validate these workforce experience interventions.

CaroNova’s WFEA program collaborates with 11 hospitals and health care systems in North and South Carolina to provide an opportunity for all hospitals across the Carolinas to implement pilot-tested interventions to accelerate broad adoption of proven strategies. Accelerators are now underway with sites at McLeod Health, ECU Health, Tidelands Health, Novant Health, Prisma Health, Duke Health, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, Advocate Health, MUSC Health, UNC Health and Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

“The Workforce Experience Accelerator reflects the power of collaboration and partnership across the Carolinas to address shared workforce challenges in a meaningful and practical way,” says SCHA’s Vice President of Innovation, Data and Community Health Aunyika Moonan, PhD, MSPH, CPHQ. “By learning from one another and elevating effective practices, hospitals and health systems are strengthening their teams and improving retention. This work is helping to reinforce a more resilient healthcare ecosystem that supports the long-term success of care delivery and the communities we serve.” 

The formal Workforce Accelerator is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. Upon its conclusion, CaroNova will develop and disseminate a Recommendations Report to share Workforce Accelerator highlights, barriers and facilitators to implementing workforce strategies, lessons learned, and key recommendations for health system leaders and funders.

In addition to the Recommendations Report, CaroNova will develop an implementation blueprint for other organizations engaging in health workforce projects. The blueprint will focus on readiness exploration, infrastructure development, iterative development across implementation stages, and continuous improvement.

The blueprint and interventions will be shared in a bi-state resource hub housed by the NC Center on the Workforce for Health, which is part of NC AHEC. This library of information will allow these efforts to be scaled and replicated with a longer-term focus on supporting health workforce well-being and retention in the Carolinas.  This library of information will allow these efforts to be scaled and replicated with a longer-term focus on supporting health workforce well-being and retention in the Carolinas. 

“The Workforce Accelerator project offers crucial insights on interventions driving retention within major health systems,” says Andy MacCracken, director of the NC Center on the Workforce for Health. “We look forward to ongoing collaboration as we turn these insights into scalable action with partners across the Carolinas.”