Michigan Health Council Awards $30,000 to Advance Healthcare Workforce Solutions
Inaugural mini-grants will support three Michigan organizations implementing priorities from the Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ana Hornburg
Michigan Health Council
(517) 908-8229
OKEMOS, Mich.—(October 1, 2026)—Michigan Health Council (MHC) has awarded $30,000 to three organizations through its first-ever mini-grant program. Each organization received $10,000 to support an initiative that strengthens Michigan’s healthcare workforce and advances the goals of the Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan.
“The Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan was designed to turn shared priorities into meaningful action,” said Craig Donahue, president and CEO of MHC. “Through our first mini-grant program, we are investing directly in organizations that are testing practical, community-informed approaches to workforce challenges. These projects will also provide valuable lessons that can inform and strengthen future efforts across the state.”
The 2026 mini-grant recipients are:
Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative — Mosaic Healthcare Career Pathway: A stackable Direct Care Worker-to-Certified Nursing Assistant pre-apprenticeship program serving 10 unemployed or underemployed adults in Benton Harbor. Participants will earn industry-recognized credentials, receive support to overcome training barriers, and be connected to employment interviews and registered apprenticeship opportunities.
Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation — Vital Pathways: A student-centered career exploration initiative that will help Detroit-area high school students better understand and pursue healthcare careers. Through social media, webinars, and student-created content, the program will connect young people with information about education, certifications, internships, volunteer experiences, and other opportunities.
Memorial Healthcare — Nurse Preceptor Training Program: An in-person training program that will prepare approximately 150 experienced registered nurses to serve as effective teachers, mentors, and evaluators for newly hired nurses. The initiative is designed to strengthen onboarding and improve first-year RN retention across the Memorial Healthcare system.
“MHC’s support allowed MWTEC and Mosaic CCCD to remove barriers to healthcare education and create a pathway where one credential builds upon the next, leading toward employment, apprenticeship, and continued career advancement,” said Amy Lee, president of the Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative. “This is what makes partnerships like this so important: together, we are not just filling workforce needs, we are creating opportunities for people in our communities to see themselves in healthcare careers and giving them a pathway to get there.”
"The Detroit Regional Chamber is grateful for the Michigan Health Council's support of its Vital Pathways program, which is helping students learn earlier in their educational journey about the unique, promising career opportunities available to them in healthcare," said Greg Handel, Chief Education and Talent Officer at the Detroit Regional Chamber. "The resources put toward this innovative work will strengthen the Detroit Region's talent pipeline and meet critical workforce needs in one of the Region's most economically significant industries.
MHC will also connect the recipients with MHC Insight, its research and evaluation team, to evaluate project outcomes and identify promising approaches that could be strengthened, replicated, or expanded.
“We know there is no single solution to Michigan’s healthcare workforce challenges,” Donahue said. “Progress will require local innovation, strong partnerships, and a willingness to learn from what works. We are proud to support these organizations as they put those principles into practice.”
Learn more about the mini-grants program at mhc.org/mini-grants.
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About Michigan Health Council
Michigan Health Council is a solutions-oriented nonprofit organization on a mission to ensure the future of the healthcare workforce. Through MHC Insight, the organization provides data, analysis, and labor market intelligence to help healthcare employers, educators, policymakers, and other partners align investments and strengthen workforce capacity. Learn more at mhc.org.
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