School-to-bedside: Building a Pipeline to Support America’s Health Care Future

When projecting the potential shortage of U.S. health care workers soon, the sky isn’t necessarily falling — at least not equally, everywhere. However, updated estimates still clearly signal problems ahead, with much of the country facing an alarming dearth of skilled health care professionals within the next decade to help care for our aging population.   

The American Hospital Association’s Center for Health Innovation’s 5 Health Care Workforce Shortage Takeaways for 2028 warns that there may be about 100,000 critical health care workers short by 2028, with an especially acute scarcity of nurse assistants who comprise a large share of the overall health care workforce.

The pain will probably not be felt across the board. Some populous states, like California, Texas and Pennsylvania, are expected to weather the storm with an estimated labor supply that exceeds demand, even benefitting from a modest surplus of physicians in a few select areas. But for other densely inhabited states, such as New York and New Jersey, the forecast is much more concerning.

Clearly, for most of America, it is wise to invest now in human resources to help ensure a dependable pipeline of highly-trained, local market, health care talent that is ready to accommodate the shifting demographics and evolving patient needs of the future.

Fortunately, many far-seeing health care providers have already leapt into action, creating a range of innovative programs designed to recruit, inspire and hone the next generation of caregivers. 

• In rural Louisiana, Acadiana Workforce Solutions has launched the Country Road Inclusion Project, which partners with local educational institutions and two health care systems to tackle the region’s critical shortage of health care workers by training and placing individuals from underserved communities into vital health care roles.
• The CNA Advance Program from CHI Health St. Elizabeth in Lincoln, Neb., offers free training, testing and employment to individuals in the Lincoln and Omaha areas who want to become certified nursing assistants. The students can more quickly climb the health care career ladder, while CHI Health fills gaps in its workforce.
• Avera Health and Mount Marty University have launched the Avera Nursing Advantage program, an affordable pathway into nursing for students in the Sioux Falls, S.D., region. Students at Mount Marty receive valuable clinical experience and generous sponsorships, covering tuition and partial room and board for their final two years while they work part-time at Avera facilities.
• The Jefferson Workforce Development Program, a collaboration between Jefferson Health, the School District of Philadelphia, and Esperanza College, aims to fast-track Philadelphia high school students into in-demand, entry-level health care jobs by providing students with 1,000 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on training at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital.
• Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., leads several workforce development programs, including externships and internships serving more than 600 students each year with training for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students enrolled in an accredited program at a school, college or university that has an affiliation agreement with Baystate Health.
• Copley Hospital in rural Vermont is among several hospitals addressing workforce shortages in the state by participating in the Career Pathway Entry Program offered by the Community College of Vermont. This program combines college classes with paid job shadows at local companies and organizations, providing students with an apprenticeship or other “earn-and-learn” opportunities.
• East Alabama Health recruits from among its own employees for its new LPN program, which continues to pay them and maintain their employment while they study to become vital additions to the nursing workforce in eastern Alabama. The first 14 students graduated in August 2025.

These thoughtfully designed programs are just a smattering of the many inspiring examples of how hospitals and health systems are taking their futures, and the futures of the patients and communities they serve, into their own hands by refusing to bend to the cycles of the health care labor market.

The 2025 AHA Health Care Workforce Scan and workforce website offer more information about innovative steps to enhance the overall workforce experience that help to recruit, refresh and retain health care workers.

Their driving philosophy — let us help you now so you can help our patients later — has proven to be a powerful attractant for young people who are drawn to health care but may have been hesitant about pursuing such careers due to cost, access or other factors.

The “leg up” on training, education, mentoring and access to future jobs that such programs provide will prove to be one of the sturdy legs that support our nation’s health care system in the years to come.