Skip Navigation

Healthforce Minnesota

Anthony Schaffhauser: Interim Director of Healthcare Workforce Development

February 2017: HealthForce Minnesota is pleased to add Anthony Schaffhauser to our team as Interim Director of Healthcare Workforce Development. Anthony brings ten years of experience within the Minnesota State system, having worked at Minnesota State Community and Technical College, as well as Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College. “Anthony’s collaborative mindset is a great fit for HealthForce Minnesota, and his location in Bemidji expands our geographic coverage of the state,” notes Valerie DeFor, Executive Director of HealthForce Minnesota.

One of Anthony’s main objectives is to partner with high schools and colleges to build the healthcare workforce pipeline. His outreach efforts are boosting the adoption of the Health Care Core Curriculum to provide a solid foundation for students with an interest in healthcare, but little or no experience on which to base their career pathway decisions. He also contributes to HealthForce Minnesota’s in-depth understanding of workforce needs and issues overall.

Anthony’s passion for workforce development extends back to his work as a regional labor market analyst with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. As he puts it, “I spent the early to mid-2000s developing ways to systematically understand Minnesota’s critical labor market needs, and I have been striving to do something about it ever since.”

Anthony views his later experience as Director of Continuing Education and Customized training as a joined department of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College as extremely valuable for his current work. This included training projects for the healthcare industry, as well as forging partnerships and securing grant funding for workforce initiatives. More recently, Anthony was the Dean of Student Access for Minnesota State Community and Technical College, providing leadership for admissions, enrollment, and financial aid. However, he views his work there to develop practical nursing program cohorts supporting the Dean of Health Careers and nursing facilities as one of his most rewarding projects. He reflects, “I look at the dynamic healthcare workforce needs and the dedicated people in healthcare and education, and I see a space that I really want to help transform and advance.”