New high school to develop future health workers
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Incoming ninth graders at Health Education and Leadership High School in Houston learn about health care equipment. Photos: Courtesy of Memorial Hermann Health System
A fix to chronic health care worker shortages could be taking shape in some high schools nationwide, starting in Houston.
Why it matters: Vocational programs immerse students as early as the ninth grade in local health systems, hoping to create a career path for a new generation of pharmacists, lab techs and nurses right out of high school.
Driving the news: A new partnership between Memorial Hermann Health System and Aldine ISD launched its first class of ninth graders this year.
- The Health Education and Leadership (HEAL) High School is one of four such programs across the country that opened this fall with backing from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
- Students can volunteer and eventually take paid part-time jobs in disciplines such as nursing, physical therapy, medical imaging and pharmacy to earn credit toward certification.
The big picture: Bloomberg Philanthropies directed $250 million for 10 programs that will launch across the country over the next two years.
- The organization wanted to increase opportunities for students who don't necessarily want or can't afford a four-year college degree while cultivating a talent pipeline for local hospitals.
A health-oriented high school is not new to Houston, home to the Texas Medical Center. DeBakey High School for Health Professions in Houston ISD, founded in 1972, became one of the first high schools for health professions in the country. The school partners with Baylor College of Medicine to blend traditional curriculum with health-related courses.
- Hightower High School in Fort Bend ISD also has a strong emphasis on medical science, with specialized courses and opportunities.
Zoom out: Other health industry players are launching efforts aimed at high school students. Walgreens in February announced one to address pharmacist shortages.
Context: Technical education programs focused on health care have been around in the United States since at least the 1950s. But interest and investment tend to ebb and flow with workforce shortages, said Jean Moore, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the State University of New York at Albany.
- "When shortages are extreme, people begin to say, 'Maybe we should start letting people know about opportunities early on.'"
- By 2036, the U.S. will be short more than 337,000 nurses, 87,000 addiction counselors, 68,000 primary care physicians and almost 5,000 pharmacists, according to the federal government.
Reality check: Preparing adolescents for health care jobs is important, but it's not a silver bullet to fixing America's health care staffing woes, Moore added.
- Other strategies could include more visas for medical workers from abroad and incentives for newly minted doctors and other professionals to live in outlying areas.