Central Indiana starting to feel like home for nurse from the Philippines

Lizsette Encina is a hemodialysis nurse at University Hospital. She came to IU Health last year from the Philippines as part of the hospital system's International Nursing Program— a workforce development program that recruits nurses to IU Health from other countries.

The program started in 2019 to help fill staffing gaps created by Indiana’s statewide nursing shortage, as well as increase diversity among caregivers at the downtown Indianapolis hospitals.

Lizsette is one of more than 60 nurses from countries including the Philippines and Kenya. "I love it here. I was just shocked when we arrived because it was already winter... so when you experience that first hand when you came from a very warm country, I was shocked."