Growing Our Own: Local Initiatives Fueling Michigan’s Healthcare Talent Pipeline

Written by Sydney Wojczynski and Evin Tas

With a growing shortage of healthcare professionals and many workers nearing retirement, there is an urgent need to inspire and support the next generation of healthcare workers. Across Michigan, organizations are developing pipeline programs to spark student interest, provide hands-on experience, and offer critical support along the path from high school to employment. These initiatives not only introduce students to a wide array of healthcare careers but also address the barriers that prevent many from pursuing them.

Covenant HealthCare: Growing Talent from Within

Covenant HealthCare, a nonprofit system based in Saginaw, supports a range of initiatives aimed at introducing students to healthcare and providing meaningful career pathways. Jill Jarvis, Manager of Clinical Development and Education, and Christin Tenbusch, Director of Care Experience and Organizational Development, emphasize the importance of engaging the community. “We serve our community, but we also want our community to come on board and serve as well,” Jarvis explains.

In partnership with Saginaw Valley State University, Covenant participates in the Chief Science Officers (CSO) program, where students from grades 6–12 learn about healthcare careers and return to their schools to promote these opportunities to their peers. Covenant professionals then visit participating schools across mid-Michigan to speak at career fairs and events, reaching 30 to 40 schools annually.

Covenant’s Discover Covenant program, now in its second year, offers high school graduates a paid summer job rotating through departments of interest at the hospital. The program exposes students to a variety of healthcare and non-clinical roles and concludes with information about entry-level job opportunities and educational benefits. Participants who become Covenant employees can access tuition support and scholarships after 90 days on the job. After receiving 70 applications in its first week, the program is expanding by 20%.

The healthcare system also hosts an annual Explore Covenant career fair every spring to introduce students and families to entry-level positions requiring only a high school diploma or GED. “When we think about pipeline programs, we often think of degreed positions,” Tenbusch explains. “That’s one facet, but there’s a whole group of people who just want gainful employment and to love what they do.”

Covenant also partners with Delta College’s Camp Health and Wellness, a three-day event where students explore 10 different healthcare occupations through hands-on experiences—from dietetics to veterinary care.

Henry Ford Health: Tailoring Programs to Local Needs

Henry Ford Health offers a variety of programs across its system, each tailored to meet community needs. At Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, Workforce Planning Coordinator Cierra Sylvester highlights their localized approach to student engagement.

The Student Career Exploration program provides high school and college students an opportunity to shadow healthcare professionals in different specialties over six one-week sessions. The program also includes professional development elements, such as phone interviews, to strengthen communication skills—a gap identified by local colleges post-COVID. Sylvester notes that students’ excitement reminds staff why their work is meaningful.

For younger students in grades 6–9, the hospital’s Summer Healthcare Camp offers hands-on activities led by professionals from multiple fields, in partnership with the Jackson Area Career Center and local public safety organizations. Highlights include a visit from Henry Ford’s Air Med helicopter and guest speakers from the Detroit Pistons, connecting sports and medicine.

Henry Ford Jackson Hospital also promotes the Glick Scholarship, which provides a full-ride to students from Jackson County pursuing degrees in nursing, allied health, or social work. Recipients must maintain academic standards and commit to working at the hospital for two years post-graduation.

At Henry Ford Detroit Hospital, additional programs offer deeper exploration for students who have identified specific healthcare interests. These include:

1. Summer Youth Program (system-wide): Volunteer opportunities for 10th–12th graders in a healthcare field of interest.

2. Student Career Exploration Program: Week-long shadowing opportunities for students in grades 9–12 or early college.

3. RYSE MED Program: A six-week summer program focused on health equity, mentorship, and clinical skills for high school juniors and seniors.

4. Department of Surgery High School Mentorship: Offers surgical skill development, professional talks, and paid summer internships for 10 students.

Henry Ford Jackson is currently working to bring the surgery mentorship program to its campus.

MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine: Empowering Students Statewide

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) provides a range of pipeline programs across Michigan to help students explore healthcare careers. Gerica Lee, Director of Pathway Programs, and Ashley Carmichael, Pathway Programs Coordinator, highlight their mission to empower students through mentorship, hands-on experience, and academic support.

The flagship OsteoCHAMPS program is an eight-day residential experience for disadvantaged high school students, offering workshops in anatomy, biochemistry, and osteopathic manipulative medicine. Students engage with undergraduates, medical students, alumni, and healthcare professionals to better understand career options and pathways to success. Of the 60 students selected annually, about one-third receive scholarships to cover the program’s $1,000 cost.

In the Upper Peninsula, OsteoCHAMPS-UP offers a free, three-day version of the program, focusing on rural healthcare. FutureDOcs, another cost-free program, runs on Saturdays over six weeks in Detroit, Macomb, and Lansing, providing mentorship and healthcare skill-building.

For college students, the Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program (OMSP) offers MSU undergraduates mentorship, workshops, and support in key areas like clinical experiences and volunteering. A new statewide expansion, MI-OSMP, now allows students from any Michigan college to participate. “We want to ensure our students feel empowered and educated to pursue any path they choose,” says Lee.

Mid-Central Michigan AHEC: Connecting Students with Mentors and Medical Schools

The Mid-Central Michigan Area Health Education Center (AHEC) works to connect high school students with healthcare mentors and professionals. Program Manager Jayme Martin shared how AHEC’s initiatives make the healthcare pipeline more accessible.

The Health Careers Pipeline Program (HCPP) serves 9th and 10th-grade students through a hybrid model of virtual and in-person events in the Grand Rapids area. Activities—organized by MSU medical students—include simulations, guest speakers, and one-on-one mentoring. In a recent session, students practiced ultrasound techniques using the same equipment as medical students.

Hospital Careers, a program through Western Michigan University and Ascension’s Navigation Center, introduces pre-college students to careers like physical therapy and emergency medicine through five interactive stations. The program addresses transportation barriers by providing busing and aligning with school schedules.

CampMed, a two-day summer program hosted at Central Michigan University, allows students to explore medical education through case studies, casting, and suturing, all alongside current medical students. The camp is cost-free and designed for high school students interested in medicine and health careers.

Learn More

For more information about these and other healthcare workforce initiatives across Michigan and beyond, visit www.mhc.org/initiatives.