Healthcare Workforce Summit to Highlight Career Awareness and Employer-Led Partnerships
Strengthening Michigan’s healthcare workforce takes collaboration among employers, educators, and workforce partners to help expand career awareness and develop talent. At the 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next, the session “Inspiring Tomorrow’s Healthcare Professionals: Career Awareness for Michigan” will explore how these connections can help address regional workforce needs.
Moderated by Valerie Jemerson, Talent Development Liaison with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), the session will feature Penny Poplar-Herd, Senior Program Director for the Greater Flint Health Coalition’s Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities (FHEO) Program; Clare Luz, Director of IMPART Alliance; and Kari Granz, Program and Communication Specialist with the Thumb Community Health Partnership (TCHP).
Jemerson focuses on the healthcare industry as part of LEO’s Sector Strategies team, bringing together employers, workforce development professionals, educators, and community partners to address talent development needs. Her work includes expanding the healthcare workforce in rural communities, supporting Community Health Worker training in underserved areas, and addressing shortages in direct care and behavioral health through career pathways, career exploration, and registered apprenticeships.
With more than 20 years of experience in workforce development, Poplar-Herd leads programs that help individuals overcome barriers and access meaningful healthcare careers. Her work emphasizes innovation and equity, supporting employment opportunities and a stronger healthcare workforce in Flint and Genesee County.
Granz leads TCHP’s Employer-Led Collaborative, bringing together healthcare employers, educators, workforce agencies, and community partners to strengthen the healthcare talent pipeline across Michigan’s Thumb. During her six years with TCHP, she has also led youth career exploration initiatives, including one-day nursing camps and multi-session career pipeline programs. Through partnerships with local health science and career and technical education programs, she connects students with healthcare professionals and opportunities close to home.
The employer panel will bring firsthand perspectives on regional collaboration, offering practical examples and lessons attendees can use to inform workforce strategies in their own communities.
The 2026 Michigan Healthcare Workforce Summit: Building What’s Next will take place on October 27 at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, bringing together healthcare employers, educators, policymakers, workforce professionals, and community partners.
View the full agenda and event details at mhcsummit.eventbrite.com.
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