Expanding access to opportunities in health care
Health care systems across the country, including Mass General Brigham, are navigating historic staffing shortages and increasing demand for care. Meeting this challenge means preparing more young people for careers in health care.
To help bridge the gap, Mass General Brigham has partnered with Boston’s Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) and Bloomberg Philanthropies on a transformative initiative to grow Boston’s future health care workforce.
A $37.8 million grant—one of the largest philanthropic investments ever made in the Boston Public School system’s history—is helping to double EMK’s enrollment capacity and expand its curriculum to include new health career pathways. Students will now have opportunities to explore careers in perioperative services, medical imaging, nursing, emergency services, and medical laboratory science. These new options complement EMK’s existing programs in nursing and emergency medical services, creating more entry points into high-demand, high-growth fields.
Students will also benefit from expanded opportunities for hands-on learning, including:
- College-level coursework
- Work-based learning, including after-school and summer placements
- Career counseling and mentorship
- Pathways to meaningful, family-sustaining careers within the Mass General Brigham health system
With our long history of nationally recognized youth programming, this initiative will help deepen our longstanding partnership with Boston Public Schools and EMK. By creating clear pathways from high school to meaningful health care careers, we’re advancing the economic stability and long-term well-being of young people and families in the communities that we serve.
