Ascend Learning, a leading provider of educational content and software tools for healthcare students, educational institutions, and health systems, announced its acquisition of StaffGarden, a cloud-based, data-driven clinical talent development and compliance platform trusted by over 800 hospitals nationwide to help with their staff retention and career development needs.
With this acquisition, Ascend Learning is extending its offerings to help hospital executives address one of their leading concerns – workforce challenges. Specifically, it will enhance their efforts to provide safe, high-quality care with a comprehensive platform for hospitals and health systems to support digital clinical ladder programs. This includes structured professional advancement, competency and assessment tracking, peer and 360° review management, residency support, and clinical project management.
“Ascend Learning strives to educate and empower a motivated, confident, and skilled healthcare workforce, a goal we proudly share with StaffGarden,” said Sean Burke, Chief Commercial Officer of Ascend Learning. “We are excited to welcome StaffGarden to the Ascend Learning team to help solve the severe workforce challenges that exist today and enhance StaffGarden’s talent development programs that over 800 hospitals and thousands of nurses nationwide already trust.”
“Our clients trust us with empowering their workforce to reach their full potential, and nurses who are supported in reaching that full potential are more likely to stay with their employers. This acquisition will only further support that goal,” said Ryan Reid, co-founder of StaffGarden. “Ascend Learning’s depth in educating healthcare workers and their ability to help us scale and innovate our products to better serve health systems are among the reasons we decided to join. We look forward to bolstering our support to clients.”
StaffGarden’s digital clinical ladder platform makes evaluating and improving the workforce’s skills easy by integrating a data-driven competency assessment tool with existing systems. StaffGarden differentiates itself from competitors with its unique cloud-based platform that modernizes, digitizes, and standardizes clinical ladders across an entire health system, providing accessibility for nurses and visibility for leadership. Coupling StaffGarden’s digital clinical ladder solution with Ascend Learning’s decades-long reputation as a trusted leader in healthcare workforce development, over 600 Registered Nurse subject matter experts, and strong customer focus will enable professionals to have greater access to resources that help them improve and advance their skills and careers.
In addition to acquiring StaffGarden, Ascend Learning has purchased the content and capabilities of Versant Healthcare Competency Solutions, which provides competency management tools, in a separate transaction. Larissa Africa, the company’s President and CEO, will join Ascend Learning as Vice President, Workforce Solutions.
“I am pleased and honored to be joining Ascend Learning to continue innovating in strategic workforce development and, ultimately, achieve quality outcomes to benefit both patients and the healthcare team,” said Africa.
StaffGarden and Ascend Learning representatives will be available at Booth 1548 at the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference October 30 – November 1, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. All attendees are welcome to visit the exhibit hall to see how they can empower their workforce to grow in their careers within their health system.
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