Melissa Shinn

Melissa Shinn’s career has seen her working in the health care space for a number of years. Currently, Shinn works as the director of Health Programs and Workforce Development for the College of Western Idaho (CWI), a position she has held for the last five years.

Over the last year and a half, Shinn has been busy with several different initiatives as director, including building innovative and unique clinical and community partnerships within workforce education.

“This includes finding new ways of collaborating with partners to reach unified goals that benefit both students and employers, driving student success and connecting students to employment,” Shinn said.

Shinn’s work in building up clinical and community partnerships includes partnerships with both the Alzheimer’s Association and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

With the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare specifically, the partnership has resulted in efforts to create custom training for staff working in the field through an on-demand Phlebotomy for Public Health training course.

“This has allowed CWI Workforce Development to stay relevant and up to date in our current offerings and create training to develop skills and knowledge among employer partners in the field of public health.” Shinn shared.

Looking to the future, Shinn noted that she hopes to find ways to continue building strategic community partnerships and leveraging existing opportunities.

“Specifically, I hope to assist in the movement to highlight health disparities, and social determinants of health needs and solutions within the context of the broader health and education systems,” she said.