As health systems across the country face a projected shortage of nearly 100,000 health care workers by 2028, particularly among nursing assistants and other entry-level roles, early career pathways are becoming increasingly critical. With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, several HAN member health systems are investing in programs that prepare high school students to enter the health care workforce immediately after graduation.
HAN members Advocate Health, Ascension, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Mass General Brigham, Memorial Hermann Health System, and Northwell Health, along with other health systems nationwide, received funding to strengthen education and training pipelines that connect students directly to hospital employers. These initiatives combine classroom learning with hands-on experience, helping students build skills, earn credentials, and gain early exposure to health care careers in their own communities.
One example highlighted by The Wall Street Journal is Memorial Hermann Health System’s Health Education and Learning (HEAL) High School in Texas. By graduation, students will have completed 220 hours of clinical rotations inside Memorial Hermann facilities and will be eligible for jobs within the system. Starting salaries for these roles range from approximately $40,000 to $80,000 per year. Demand for the program has been strong, with enrollment quickly exceeding available seats. The school currently serves 309 students. For students like Brianna Castillo, a sophomore who hopes to become an ultrasound technician, the program has reshaped her relationship with education. “All my middle-school years, I really didn’t like going to school, I hated it,” she shared with The Wall Street Journal. “Now, though, I am eager to show up because I believe it will help advance my career.”
These programs reflect the anchor mission in action. By investing early in local talent, health systems are addressing workforce shortages while expanding access to quality jobs and strengthening economic opportunity for young people in the communities they serve.