This week, CGFNS International, Inc. (CGFNS) publicly announced its “Passport2Liberty” initiative that will restore credentials for Ukrainian nurses who wish to migrate to the United States. Recognizing that special attention must be given to those forced to flee their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster, CGFNS will leverage its credentials assessment expertise, partnerships, and state-of-the-art global educational database to reconstruct the documentation Ukrainian nurses need to practice in the United States.
Ochsner Health, an integrated healthcare system with 40 hospitals and 300+ health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf South, is a founding partner and the first U.S. hospital system to commit to the initiative. For the pilot phase, Ochsner will be offering employment to eight Ukrainian nurses, and will assist their families in getting settled in their new communities. The nurses will be committed to Ochsner for at least two years.
"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," said Warner Thomas, President and CEO of Ochsner Health. "Not only will this program be part of our international RN recruitment strategy, but it's the right thing to do."
The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) are facilitating partnerships with health care systems and work with the State Boards of Nursing. Ochsner and the Catholic Health Association of the United States will be participating in the pilot. Global Nurse Partners, a nurse placement agency specializing in international recruitment, will help and support nurses through their transition and adjustment to the U.S.
“CGFNS created the Passport2Liberty initiative to address the challenges faced by Ukrainian nurses during this time of crisis. It is grounded in the belief and commitment that safe, orderly, regular migration is a human right, and that the global community has a responsibility to ensure that refugees in all situations are aptly supported and empowered," said CGFNS President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Franklin A. Shaffer.
Ochsner expects to welcome the first eight nurses in the program in Fall 2022. More information, including where each nurse will work, will be announced once the new team members are identified.
“It is our great honor at Ochsner Health to play a small role in the recovery journey of these Ukrainian families,” said Tracey Schiro, Ochsner EVP Chief Risk and HR Officer. “We are committed to providing our Ukrainian nurses with a safe place to live and work; we offer the benefit of a loving and supportive employee culture to help these nurses adjust and acclimate to their new surroundings. We are grateful for their expertise and look forward to the exchange of ideas and how we will all learn and grow together."
“I’m grateful that we are able to sponsor nurses from the country of Ukraine and hope that they can heal and find joy in their work here at Ochsner," said Tracey Moffatt, System Chief Nursing Officer. "Nurses have a legacy of bravery and strength in the most difficult times, starting when Florence Nightingale brought nurses to aid soldiers in the Crimean War. We welcome these brave nurses and their families into our community.”
Ukrainian Nurse refugees should visit Passport2Liberty.org and fill out the general information form to get personalized information about the accommodation policies for their specific cases.