HCA TriStar has established a pipeline to hire patient techs out of Metro Schools.
The program, announced on Thursday evening, is starting at Pearl-Cohn and Maplewood High Schools. Students who are at least 18 can take a three-week training program at Nashville State Community College and then be offered a job at a local hospital. Five students have already gotten jobs, according to a joint press release.
The pipeline is expected to open up beyond Metro students this summer.
HCA TriStar says it started this program partly in response to the shortage of staffing during the pandemic but also to promote diversity in the health care profession. The hospital chain is hoping the entry-level jobs lead to students pursuing higher-paying health care careers in the future.
“These incredibly bright individuals are our future doctors, nurses, and other professionals that our patients and community depend upon,” TriStar chief nursing officer Bryan Sisk says in a statement.
HCA has also ventured deeper into health care education in recent years, growing its medical residency program and even buying a nursing school, as the shortage of health care workers is expected to continue.