Thursday, September 27, 2018
PROVIDENCE, RI – Mayor Jorge O. Elorza today announced that Jody A. Jencks will join the City of Providence as the Director of PVD HealthWorks for the Office of Economic Opportunity where she will lead the development of specialized healthcare and social assistance workforce partnerships to create diverse training pipelines, career pathways, and other workforce solutions for Providence residents interested in accessing careers in the healthcare and social assistance industry.
“I’m excited to welcome Jody as the head of PVD HealthWorks,” said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. “PVD HealthWorks will strengthen our local workforce by providing pathways to good jobs for residents. Jody has cultivated years of healthcare workforce development experience that made her the top choice to lead this initiative.”
The City’s Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was selected as a 2017 Real Jobs RI grant recipient to create the PVD HealthWorks Initiative, a new partnership among employers, training providers, and community-based organizations to facilitate the connection of Providence-area residents to high-demand occupations in healthcare and social assistance. The Healthcare and Social Assistance industry is the largest employment sector in the State and is the largest employer within the City of Providence. PVD Health Works matches training to high demand employer workforce needs, connects qualified professionals with employers looking for top talent; strategically connects industry partners around shared needs, and actively fosters system solutions around those shared needs to minimize siloed efforts.
Having worked in major hospitals across Rhode Island in strategic management positions, Jencks is nationally-renown for high-level workforce development efforts and identifying untapped pools of potential while actively engaging with the community.
As Director of Workforce Development for Care New England Health System, Jencks increased the labor market supply of health care workers by identifying potential workers, disseminating information on health careers to the community, working with local government and educational institutions on training opportunities, and collaborated with multiple collective bargaining units on creating a talent pipeline.
As the Senior Human Resources Business Partner for Butler Hospital, Jencks designed and implemented processes, managed employee and labor relations to align with best practices, and directed short and long-term management to ensure a qualified and competitive workforce.
Earlier in her career, Jencks bolstered the volunteer services department at Kent Hospital from 190 people to 600 people in a three-year span and helped 100 people find employment within the healthcare system as Director of Volunteer Services for Kent Hospital. She also served as Philanthropy Officer for the hospital’s Annual Programs where she managed the strategic direction of the annual giving program and raised over $1 million.
Jencks earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Minor in Psychology from the University of Rhode Island, a Master of Public Administration from Roger Williams University and is a graduate of the Annual Giving Certificate Program at the Wisconsin School of Business as part of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
Jencks is an energetic visionary with the leadership and management skills that will allow her to strategically develop and implement high-level operational plans. She will have the unique opportunity to lead in transforming system solutions that impact our communities and health equity across the capital city.