Duke University is Betting on High Schoolers. Is This Good News for the Medical Profession in NC?
(Becker’s Hospital Review, Kelly Gooch) — In the past few years, a number of health systems have partnered with schools and nonprofits to support healthcare-focused high schools — and leaders say the results have been promising on a number of levels.
Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health collaborated with Uplift Education and Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch the Uplift Heights Healthcare Institute in 2024. Tenneil Dutton, senior vice president of talent and belonging at Baylor Scott & White, told Becker’s the high school not only prepares students for high-demand healthcare jobs, but equips them with crucial skills.
Take Neveah Money, for example — a teenager who saved her sister’s life thanks to CPR training she received at the school.
“What an amazing story; one of the first activities that they did as rising ninth graders last summer was to participate in a CPR course,” Phil Kendzior, vice president of workforce development for Baylor Scott & White Health, told NBC affiliate KXAS in May. “… It is very clear that the students are very engaged with the content they’re learning, and it’s wonderful that they’re able to apply it.”
In January 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies launched an initiative to create healthcare-focused high schools by partnering with public school districts and health systems. Ten communities — urban and rural — were selected to participate in the effort, which graduates students into in-demand healthcare jobs to address workforce gaps.
“Since 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies has invested over $100 million in career and technical education programs across the country,” Sneha Choudhary, the education communications lead for Bloomberg Philanthropies, told Becker’s. “We’ve learned that the most successful models involve training both within schools and directly at employer sites, and are deeply connected to the needs of specific industries and employers.
“We built upon these insights in 2024 with the launch of our $250 million healthcare high school initiative, partnering with leading health systems to prepare students for in-demand, well-paying careers in their own communities. We’ve found that healthcare systems are eager to invest in early talent development, and students are enthusiastic about pursuing meaningful healthcare careers — many of which don’t require a four-year degree.”
Schools have already opened in Boston (Mass General Brigham), Charlotte, N.C. (Atrium Health), Dallas (Baylor Scott & White) and Houston (Memorial Hermann).
The following schools are set to open in 2025 and 2026:
- Demopolis, Ala. (University of Alabama Health System and 11 other Alabama health systems) — 2026
- Durham, N.C. (Duke Health) — August 2025
- Nashville, Tenn. (HCA Healthcare, Ascension, Vanderbilt University) — August 2025
- New York City (Northwell Health) — September 2025
- Northeast Tennessee (Ballad Health) — August 2025
- Philadelphia (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) — August 2025
Becker’s spoke with leaders at several systems about their initiatives, including lessons learned in launching or scaling a healthcare-focused high school and the biggest surprises — positive or challenging — since the program’s inception.
Baylor Scott & White Health
Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health is the largest nonprofit health system in Texas, comprising 52 hospitals, more than 1,300 care sites, more than 7,200 active physicians, 57,000 employees and the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan.
As such, the organization is deeply engaged in large-scale medical education programs. Its partnership with Uplift Education and Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch Uplift Heights Healthcare Institute in West Dallas in 2024 aligns with that mission, Ms. Dutton told Becker’s.
Uplift Heights students choose from specialized tracks — biomedical science, nursing, healthcare therapeutic services or healthcare operations — and can earn certifications such as certified medical assistant or phlebotomist. The program includes simulation labs and mentorship from Baylor Scott & White professionals, as well as dual-credit opportunities through universities in the area.
Ms. Dutton noted that the process of launching the school happened at a rapid pace. The health system learned of the Bloomberg award in November 2023 and opened the school in fall 2024.
“As you can imagine, a very short time to completely stand up the program, which is a design of the curriculum — almost a complete redesign of the school,” Ms. Dutton said. “The high school components, the school itself, needed to be completely revamped, and simulation labs put in. And so we were off and running and moving aggressively.”
She said the health system recognized a few months into the development process the need to step back and “further align on our ‘why.’” This effort involved ensuring clarity around the vision as an organization as well as setting priorities for team members.
“Because on the surface it looked like just, ‘How do we fix and address the shortage of labor in the healthcare space?’ But we wanted to do so much more than that,” Ms. Dutton said. “Really homing in on our vision and almost building a new vision for this collaboration between entities was very important and became our North Star.”
During the process of standing up the school, Baylor Scott & White also recognized the need to further integrate clinicians and teachers at the earliest stage possible.
“Because it is an immersion-type experience for our students — or as we refer to the Uplift students, as scholars,” Ms. Dutton said. “We found that our clinicians, all busy, were very passionate about this initiative and ready to step in and help us. So bringing them in early on, where they could help co-design the curricula and the classes so that we could provide the scholars with those very real perspectives, that really was a key point. Anything we do when planning for the future, we make sure that we’re well represented at the table with those individuals.”
Baylor Scott & White also focused on ensuring parents of the students were part of the process early on.
Since the program’s inception, Ms. Dutton has been pleasantly surprised by the feedback.
“We knew people would be passionate about the project, but we could never have imagined how passionate and excited and enthusiastic the team would be,” she said. “Wee have seen from Baylor Scott & White’s end — all the way up to our executive leaderships, our CEO and especially our president, Julie Creamer — has really leaned in with us. And so we haven’t struggled with volunteers. Everyone’s doing their day job and is so willing to help.”
Ms. Dutton said early results from the school also suggest attendance rates are more than meeting expectations.
The success of revamping Uplift Heights into a dedicated healthcare high school has also led to expansion through a program at Uplift Grand, a public, college-preparatory charter school in Grand Prairie, Texas. The career and technical education healthcare pathway at Uplift Grand, which is the second phase of the partnership between Baylor Scott & White Health, Uplift Education and Bloomberg Philanthropies, is set to launch in the fall.
For other systems embarking on similar career and education pipelines, she pointed to the early engagement of the clinicians, the healthcare team.
“Don’t exclude them from the process, thinking that they’re too busy,” Ms. Dutton said. “That makes a difference. But at the same time, it’s not only thinking about the organization or the talent you want to build for today, but the talent for the future. Healthcare is rapidly changing and advancing — especially with AI coming into play — acknowledging solutions that we could not have even imagined. Patients becoming more of a consumer.
“Knowing what you want to build for the future — and it may not look like the talent that you have for today. So really thinking out of that — those competency skills of a future professional healthcare talent. That’s one that I think is very important.”
Ms. Dutton also recommended that systems consider the communities that house the school system.
“We’re not only educating scholars, but we’re also helping to educate, provide awareness and local healthcare resources to the communities that surround that school,” she said. “And that, we’ve seen, has been very powerful. It’s having a ripple effect.”
She said Baylor Scott & White has learned “to move and be resilient and flexible, to assess our program and adjust it and make incremental changes very rapidly. You can’t be focused on, ‘I know this is how we originally designed it, and we can’t be flexible.’
“We have an evolving audience here with students and scholars, so how do we continuously ask for feedback from those scholars, those students? Are we meeting your needs? From the teachers and from our Baylor Scott & White team to say, ‘Is this doing what we set out to do?’”
Along those lines, Baylor Scott & White is constantly meeting as a leadership team around Uplift to ensure the curriculum at the Uplift institute is “exactly what it needs to be for all of these stakeholders. There’s this continuous feedback and adaptation that takes place. It is very critical that we do that, and that anyone who does something like this does that as well.”
Mass General Brigham
Boston-based Mass General Brigham, in collaboration with Boston Public Schools and Bloomberg Philanthropies, launched an initiative in 2024 to expand and transform the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, a healthcare-focused public high school in the Boston Public School system. This expansion includes new health career pathways in surgery, medical imaging, and biotechnology/medical lab science, with a goal to grow enrollment to 800 students over five years.
Elsie Taveras, MD, the inaugural chief community health and equity officer at Mass General Brigham and executive director of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Mass General Brigham, told Becker’s that the system moved quickly to enroll students.
“We didn’t have a prep year,” she said. “We started right away because we already had a very solid and strong partner in Edward M. Kennedy Academy. They are a healthcare-focused high school — have been for years — and so we already knew we had a very strong base for adding on the new pathways for health careers that Bloomberg Philanthropies has made possible.”
She said the biggest takeaway from launching the Kennedy Academy has been about getting partners involved early and building in ample time for planning.
“This isn’t a solo endeavor,” Dr. Taveras said. “It’s a truly collaborative effort that weaves together everything from facilities and Career and Technical Education to Early College and career exploration. All these pieces have to click together just right to create a cohesive and enriching experience for our students within their school day. If you’re developing a similar model, we can’t stress enough: Bring everyone to the table early and invest the time up front to design a program that truly serves students well from day one.”
She also noted that organizers learned the importance of raising awareness about the healthcare high school’s offerings, especially in the Boston area, where students who are entering high school with interest in science, technology, engineering and math have many options. Mass General Brigham spent significant time on recruitment, enrolling and marketing.
Dr. Taveras acknowledged there is still work to do, as the initiative is slightly short of its goal of enrolling more than 200 students in the incoming ninth-grade class.
“So I also wouldn’t underestimate — for a new program — how much effort it is to communicate to students who have really great choices what a career in healthcare looks like, and what they would get out of our relatively new entry into the high school options,” she said.
She said Mass General Brigham has also learned “the power of purposeful planning and scheduling, especially when you’re trying to weave Early College and Career and Technical Education into an already packed school day.”
“Our school partner was phenomenal here,” she added. “They invested serious time adjusting and refining the schedule to ensure our students could truly engage with every single aspect of the program. Creating a schedule that genuinely supports meaningful student participation can make all the difference in crafting a seamless and supportive learning experience.”
One of the biggest positive surprises she pointed to since the program’s inception is discovering how much passion and natural curiosity students have for science, technology and healthcare.
“The on-site visits and guest speakers have been incredible at further igniting those interests and making future career pathways feel genuinely real and accessible,” she added. “I’ll never forget Vital Signs Day, for instance. Watching our students showcase their technical expertise and essential skills was truly inspiring.”
She also pointed to the “extraordinary” number of volunteers from the health system to serve as mentors.
“I think it’s because it pulls at people’s sense of purpose,” she said. “And I couldn’t be prouder of our system and our staff who have really engaged in being part of this initiative — mentoring students, teaching students when they come on site, asking to go to the school to give lectures, to meet one on one. It’s been fantastic.”
As far as scaling the initiative, Mass General Brigham set ambitious goals in its first year. Dr. Taveras said the health system applied for Massachusetts Early College Designation and Career and Technical Education Medical Assisting program approval. It also organized eight on-site visits and hosted 15 guest speaker events.
“We’ve also poured significant time into planning for Year 2 and beyond, always with our sights set on deepening the learning experience and broadening opportunities for our students,” she said. “All in all, we’ve made meaningful progress and feel incredibly optimistic about the even greater potential we see for the years ahead.”
Duke Health
Durham, N.C.-based Duke University Health System has partnered with Durham Public Schools and Durham Technical Community College to develop the Durham Early College of Health Sciences, which will welcome its inaugural ninth-grade class of 105 students in August. DECHS is tuition-free and will be located on Durham Tech’s campus. Students may choose from career pathways including nursing, surgical technology, allied health and clinical research.
Rhonda Brandon, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Duke Health, told Becker’s leaders from the three educational entities have been collaborating for more than 18 months.
When asked about the most significant lesson learned thus far, she referenced the power of building partnerships from the beginning.
“Health systems can’t simply come in with a plan; co-creating the plan with educators, students, and community members is imperative,” Ms. Brandon said. “Each partner brings unique expertise, and with alignment around a shared vision, something that’s both practical and transformative is designed.”
She said the experience has also taught her that when it comes to workforce development, early exposure, education and understanding about careers, relationships, available opportunities and creating a sense of belonging are crucial.
“Designing with the community, not just for it, unlocks entirely new possibilities — not only for talent development, but for long-term economic mobility and student and family stability,” Ms. Brandon said.
Since the initiative’s inception, she said she has been encouraged by the enthusiasm across Duke Health.
“Our teams — from clinicians to researchers to administrative leaders — are genuinely excited to support this next generation,” Ms. Brandon said. “When our teams engage with this project and the students, our staff feel a great sense of motivation, inspiration and purpose. Many see themselves in these students and are eager to give back as mentors and role models.”
Still, she acknowledged the challenges of creating a program across three large organizations with separate systems, operational workflows, regulations and pressures.
“We’re navigating everything from policies for minors on-site, to training our workforce on how to engage with young students, to data-sharing agreements across institutions,” she said. “Yet, what’s been most inspiring is the shared commitment. Every partner is aligned around the same goal: to give students a unique, hands-on learning experience that prepares them to thrive — both in healthcare and in life.”
The initiative has already exceeded her expectations in terms of engagement among team members and community members. She said scaling has also revealed the importance of building durable infrastructure — including shared governance, funding strategies and cross-sector accountability.
“It’s not enough to have enthusiasm; sustainability requires coordination and long-term commitment across institutions,” Ms. Brandon said. “We’re still learning, but we’ve built a strong foundation.”
Her top lesson for systems embarking on similar education-career pipelines: Start with the “why.”
“For us, this is a strategic investment in the future — in our workforce and our community,” Ms. Brandon said. “We are strengthening the healthcare talent pipeline, improving long-term health outcomes and opening doors for students who may not have seen a healthcare career as something within reach. It’s about creating real opportunities for students to access well-paying, meaningful jobs that make an impact, offer career growth and drive economic mobility.”
She also recommended that systems plan for the full student experience. This includes resources such as counselors, mentorships, internships, transportation, meals and scrubs (uniforms).
These “aren’t ‘extras’ — they’re the foundation for student success,” Ms. Brandon said. “Creating an environment where students feel welcomed, prepared and supported is key. And honoring and respecting the role of families and communities is foundational — early engagement of parents and caregivers makes a lasting difference.”
She also told leaders to “be ready for the unknown.”
“There will be surprises and challenges; it’s part of the process,” Ms. Brandon said. “Trusting the people closest to the work to test, adapting and improving along the way, has been helpful. It’s an investment of time, but the long-term impact — for students, for future healthcare teams, and for the broader community — creates a great return on that investment.”