Michigan Primary Care Association Growing Community-Based Healthcare Workforce

Rachel Ruddock, Director of Workforce and Career Training at the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA), recently highlighted several of the Association’s current workforce initiatives with our team. MPCA’s initiatives advance the incumbent health center workforce and promote community-based care as a career avenue for future healthcare professionals. 

Apprenticeship Intermediary

MPCA is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) as an apprenticeship intermediary for Dental Assistant and Community Health Worker (CHW) apprenticeship programs at Michigan’s health centers. Through this role, MPCA provides apprenticeship program administration, implementation, and reporting services to health centers that host these programs. Their support reduces the burden on health centers to run and maintain apprenticeship programs. 

Health Center Workforce Expansion and Retention

MPCA’s Health Center Careers Training Program (HCCTP) is an on-the-job training program that helps member health centers grow and upskill their staff. Through the HCCTP, health centers receive financial support to hire, train, and retain non-degree healthcare support professionals, such as Medical Assistants, Doulas, and Medical Billers & Coders. HCCTP provides funding for participants to obtain healthcare certifications as they earn a wage while progressing through training. Centers also receive ancillary support from MPCA to facilitate training and programmatic activities. The HCCTP launched in 2022 and runs through December 2026. As of early 2025, more than 300 individuals from 28 health centers have enrolled. 

Supporting Undergraduate Nursing Students

MPCA and the Michigan Center for Rural Health (MCRH) are partnering to provide clinical education experiences at health centers and rural health clinics (RHCs) to BSN nursing students at ten public universities. NURSES (Novel, Undergraduate nuRse Skill-building ExperienceS): A Program for Future Registered Nurses addresses the shortage of nursing students in community-based outpatient care facilities and encourages more nurses to pursue work at these sites after graduation. Nursing students receive a stipend during their rotations and can receive additional funding for paid internships. The NURSES Grant, supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, ends in January 2026. 

Community Health Worker Apprenticeships

MPCA received an award from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO)’s State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant to create a Community Health Worker (CHW) registered apprenticeship program specifically for health centers. 42 apprentices at 13 health centers are training to become clinically integrated CHWs. 

Dental Therapy Scholarship

Lastly, MPCA offers a Dental Therapy Scholarship in partnership with the Delta Dental Foundation and the Health Fund. The Scholarship awards Michigan dental therapy students attending out-of-state programs up to $15,000 per semester if they agree to practice in Michigan for up to 36 months after graduation, as Michigan does not yet offer a CODA-accredited dental therapy program. MPCA’s Dental Therapy Scholarship aims to expand access to oral health care by growing the number of providers in Michigan’s medically underserved areas.

Learn More

For more information about innovative work happening in Michigan and nationwide, check out our database of healthcare workforce initiatives at www.mhc.org/initiatives.