Bringing the Front Lines to the Forefront: A National Conversation on the Critical Need to Invest in Workers on the Front Lines of Health Care

In March 2010, JFF hosted two working meetings that brought attention to an often-overlooked issue central to the quality, access, and affordability of health care: The health sector does not have enough qualified workers to ensure quality care for aging Baby Boomers, the newly insured, and a more diverse U.S. population. David Altstadt reports on the Washington discussions, which drew upon the on-the-ground experiences of three nationwide initiatives that are supporting community efforts to bolster the skills development, job quality, and retention of frontline health care workers: Jobs to Careers, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, and Breaking Through.