Closing the Workday Skills Gap at OU Health

OU Health is Oklahoma’s flagship academic health system comprised of hospitals, clinics and centers of excellence. It is the clinical partner of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, one of the most comprehensive academic and research campuses in the country. OU Health serves Oklahoma and the region with the state’s only comprehensive children’s hospital (Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health); National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center (OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center); and the flagship academic hospital and Oklahoma’s only Level 1 trauma center (OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center).

OU Health encompasses a variety of specialized facilities and services, including:

• OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center – Comprehensive patient care across numerous specialties.
• OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center – Nationally ranked for cancer treatment and research.
• OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center – Leader in diabetes care and research.
• OU Health Edmond Medical Center – Community-focused healthcare.
• OU Health Physicians – Largest physician network in Oklahoma.

OU Health has over 1,200 inpatient beds, sees over one million outpatients annually, and has a staff of over 11,000, including 1,200 physicians. Its mission is to lead healthcare through excellence in patient care, education, and research, aiming to improve community health and well-being.

OU Health faced a critical challenge finding certified Workday professionals locally to support its growing needs in Oklahoma City. As the demand for Workday expertise surged, OU Health struggled to recruit talent with the specialized skills necessary to effectively manage and expand its Workday platform. This challenge mirrors the broader Workday skills gap observed across the healthcare industry, where rapid adoption of Workday solutions has outpaced the availability of trained professionals, making it difficult for organizations to fill these roles without significant recruitment costs and delays.

OU Health had previously partnered with Optimum to address a similar gap in Epic-certified professionals, achieving successful outcomes that strengthened its healthcare IT operations. Given the positive impact of that partnership, OU Health turned once again to Optimum Healthcare IT and the Optimum CareerPath program to help close their Workday staffing gaps.

To help OU Health overcome its challenge of finding certified Workday professionals locally, Optimum Healthcare IT leveraged its innovative Optimum CareerPath (OCP) program. OCP is a targeted recruiting, training, and placement solution created in partnership with CHIME to address the healthcare technology skills gap by building high-growth, low-cost, and low-risk talent pipelines. This program identifies high-potential, early-career individuals and provides a well-rounded training approach that includes soft skills, healthcare industry knowledge, and in-demand technology certifications, such as Workday.

Through this partnership, Optimum provided OU Health with certified Workday specialists, fully prepared to support their Workday environment immediately. By managing recruiting, training, and onboarding, Optimum maximized OU Health’s investment in these areas and rapidly deployed skilled team members to meet mission-critical needs. This proven, low-risk approach supplied OU Health with energetic, high-potential talent, enhancing team diversity and equipping them with the expertise to sustain and grow their Workday operations effectively.

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