FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Through a partnership with Indiana Talent Attraction (ITA), Parkview Health recently hired 15 international nurses that will aid in bringing experienced healthcare workers to the state.

Parkview Health and ITA have worked together for more than five years, and the international program represented the latest example of teamwork between the two organizations.

“They’ve helped us with a lot of our recruitment initiatives, so when they came to us with this idea, we were very interested and excited to partner with them on this,” said Hallie Custer, vice president of human resources for Parkview Health.

While Parkview Health does not have a nursing shortage, Custer said they are always looking to hire skilled nurses and add cultural diversity to the workforce.

“We just always want to find quality nurses to take care of our patients, so this is just one of our pipeline opportunities,” Custer said.

In the last 12 months, Parkview Health has hired 14 nurses from Brazil and an additional nurse from the Philippines.

According to Parkview Health, the 14 new hires from Brazil are registered nurses with 4-year degrees and an average of 10 years of experience.

Custer said ITA has a close family member of founder and CEO Lynn Reecer who lives in Brazil and works as a recruiter for the organization, which made finding nurses interested in working in the U.S. a simple process.

“This recruiter knew that there are some great nurses in Brazil who are very excited to try something different and come to the United States,” Custer said.

The person Custer talked about is Indiana Talent International Nursing Recruiter Clara De Almeida Reecer had this to say about her role, “It has been a pleasure supporting these exceptional and passionate nurses and their families in pursuit of their ‘American dream.’ Their commitment to nursing and dedication to becoming registered nurses in the U.S. is truly inspiring! Our partnership with Parkview Health, an organization that embraces diversity and provides unparalleled support from the outset, has been instrumental in attracting top-tier talent.”

While Parkview Health oversees work to get the nurses adjusted to the work environment, Custer said ITA works to help international recruits with the many lifestyle adjustments they will go through when moving to the U.S.

“They help them find housing, make sure they know where the grocery stores are and restaurants and schools for children,” Custer said. “They do a nice job in just making sure from a social perspective that they feel comfortable in coming to [Indiana].”

Roberta Braga, one of the nurses hired by Parkview Health said she is excited to work in Indiana and learn more about the area.

“I am excited to [get to] know Fort Wayne,” Braga said. “I’ve heard and researched great things about the city.”

Braga, who is from a city near São Paulo, Brazil, has been a nurse for 16 years and specializes in pediatric care, and she said she appreciated ITA and Parkview Health for helping her throughout the hiring process.

“This is great for me because the service from Indiana Talent Attraction is priceless as it connected me to a great hospital and will help my family and me,” Braga said.

The nurses are still wrapping up the immigration process, but Parkview Health hopes to have them in the U.S. by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

“We’re patient. We know that the process takes time,” Custer said. “The time is worth the investment.”

Most of the nurses will be working at Parkview Health facilities in Allen County, and one nurse will be working at Parkview Kosciusko Hospital.