These talks were lively, informative, and they inspired confidence in the direction of the work being done at the Institute.
Our conference journey started in mid-October at the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Annual Conference in Chicago. Our team convened with genetic counselors in five separate focus groups over the course of three days, where we learned about their genetic counselor education, post-graduate careers paths, skills gained on the job, and the different means of professional development, including genomics continuing education, utilized to keep pace in this ever-changing field. These genetic counselors shared how their careers have advanced and how additional genetics training and continuing education has impacted this professional growth. These conversations further demonstrated how this workforce will be vital in the evolution of genomics and precision medicine. The skill set of genetic counselors is a unique one. They are ever learning, passionate about patient advocacy and social issues, and possess an overall drive to expand their minds and practice in innovative ways to ultimately benefit patients.
Next, we hosted a guided conversation at the 2023 Genetic Health Information Network (GHIN) Summit in Nashville. During this session, we heard from a diverse group of stakeholders within health systems, health plans, research and biotech companies. We discussed ideal future scenarios in precision health and debated why patients aren’t experiencing this level of care today. This conversation reafffirmed that solving workforce challenges alone isn’t enough. To make precision health a reality, we need to understand how our current healthcare system works as a whole. We must find additional solutions to address areas of need within operations, policy, and infrastructure in addition to precision medicine training. Only then will a new and evolving genomics workforce be able to thrive.
The final stop on our journey was the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. Here, we convened with individuals representing perspectives and experiences from biotech, research, clinical laboratories and government programs. We focused on what our participants wished for pertaining to the delivery of precision medicine. We heard unique perspectives on the shared challenges in care delivery and discussed how to implement potential solutions. This conversation confirmed that diversification of the care delivery workforce and equitable access to genomics care needs to be at the center of our Institute’s efforts. In order to provide access to critical diagnostic testing and lifesaving treatments, our workforce must evolve to be representative of the greater population we aim to serve.
There was a lot of common ground discovered in this last month; but three truly unifying themes were observed throughout our conference season:
The Healthcare System Is Complex
The problems we are dealing with in healthcare and genomics workforce development are multitudinous. Solving these problems will require collective effort- with different voices and ideas contributing to the conversation. We will need to identify and consult with more stakeholders from across the ecosystem, including those representing technology, patient experience, process, policy, and education perspectives. There is no one solution. As we think about how to best educate this genomics workforce, we need to be open to creative ideas that do not exacerbate the existing challenges. Having a diverse portfolio of genomics continuing education programs that reach a broad audience can help, but bringing together greater groups to understand these additional challenges will be necessary in making meaningful progress.
Focus on Strengths to Maximize Impact
The gaps we see today span many areas across healthcare. We must be discerning in our approach and remain focused; we aren’t trying to ‘boil the ocean.’ Attempting to fix everything all at once is a recipe for ineffectiveness. The Institute has an opportunity, and an obligation, to hone in on specific areas of expertise where Sarah Lawrence College can make a tangible impact. As a connector and a catalyst in this space, we will facilitate collaboration with other entities. Together, we will delegate different elements of the solution that play to each entity’s strengths. Strategic focus is the key to producing meaningful change.
We’re Stronger Together!
The enthusiasm around solving for the growing workforce challenges in genomics is contagious. In all of our conversations, people were excited to hear that Sarah Lawrence College, first in genetic counselor education, is now addressing critical genomics workforce challenges. More times than not, the people we spoke with followed up the conversation with, “How can I help?” This community of genomics stakeholders understands that if we break down the barriers that are preventing the integration of genomic technologies and advancements into healthcare at large, we can improve the health of many more people. We’re better when we work together!
I imagine this like being part of a big team. Each person within the team has a role or position to play. Only when everyone on a team works towards the same goal can amazing things happen that are greater than the sum of its players. The excitement I felt from the community not only energizes me, but confirms that the time is right to build this team to address the accessibility and equitable delivery of genomics and precision medicine. It’s not just about one person or one institution; it’s about the collective efforts that can make a huge impact towards our shared goal.
The excitement I felt from the community not only energizes me, but confirms that the time is right to build this team to address the accessibility and equitable delivery of genomics and precision medicine.
As a non-profit educational institution, Sarah Lawrence College has a unique role in this conversation. The Joan H. Marks Graduate Program in Human Genetics has educated over 1,000 members of the existing genetic counseling workforce, giving us a distinctive influence on how to shape the future of genomic workforce development. Our humanistic approach to education -grounded in the pillars of humanity, social justice, and creativity- draws our focus toward building a more diverse, compassionate, and adaptable workforce prepared to deliver the genomic medicine of tomorrow.
As we continue our mission to highlight genomics care delivery workforce challenges and build a network of diverse collaborators to address them, I want you to think about how you can be a part of this change. What role will you or your institution play? Together, we can make a big impact, creating a future where genomics medicine is not just advanced, but accessible and available to everyone. The time is now to join this team and deliver on the promise of precision medicine.
For more information on the work of the Institute and our fall convenings, I invite you to view our video featured as part of the 2023 ASHG TV series. You can also request to join our collaborative efforts through this form.