NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— A new program will assist in relocating Ukrainian nurses to the United States with the help of Ochsner Health.
This week, the healthcare system announced its co-founding of the “Passport2Liberty” program through CGFNS, a global nonprofit that assists healthcare workers across the world relocate to other countries by evaluating and validating their educational and professional credentials.
As the first hospital system to commit to the program, Ochsner will welcome eight Ukrainian nurses and their families to the Gulf Region this fall. While it hasn’t yet been announced which Ochsner facilities the nurses will work at, Passport2Liberty secures at least two years with the company.
Ochsner President and CEO Warner Thomas expressed his gratitude for the program and excitement for the months ahead, saying, “I am so proud of our creative and empathetic nursing teams at Ochsner Health, who saw a need to help their fellow nurses from Ukraine and shared with leadership this idea to participate. Not only will this program be part of our international RN recruitment strategy, but it’s the right thing to do.”
Also partnering in the program are the American Hospital Association and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, who will work to expand to other health care systems across the country and collaborate with the State Boards of Nursing. Alongside Ochsner, St. Louis-based Catholic Health Association of America will also welcome a cohort of nurses relocating to the U.S. through the initiative’s first phases.
Those interested in applying or getting involved can visit Passport2Liberty.org. There, applicants will find information about accommodation for their specific cases.