A health care system and three educational institutions in Springfield are teaming up to help meet the region's future health needs.
On Tuesday, they announced the Alliance for Health Education and officially signed agreements.
Alliance members include Coxhealth, Springfield Public Schools, Missouri State University and Ozarks Technical Community College. But that group is expected to grow in the future to include other health care systems and educational agencies, including high schools.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, Springfield High School juniors and seniors will be able to earn an Associate of Arts in Bioclinical Sciences while completing their high school diplomas.
SPS Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lahan said the new alliance will give students a jump start on entering the workforce in fields such as nursing, respiratory therapy and more.
“Ultimately, the alliance will create pipelines that will allow students to have early access to industry and professional opportunities,” he said.
As part of the change, Cox College will be fully integrated into the alliance. Current Cox College students will complete their programs. Over time, Cox College will transition its undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to MSU and its associate programs to OTC.
Missouri State President Cliff Smart said their first cohort will start in the fall of 2025. Last year, MSU had 4,280 students in the McQueary College of Health and Human Services. This year that number increased to 4,476.
“We will grow exponentially faster by partnering with Cox, OTC and SPS to more efficiently and affordably provide health care education in our region,” said Smart.
CoxHealth President and CEO Max Buetow said the new alliance will ultimately have a positive impact on healthcare.
“Health care is a service that depends on talented people providing care,” he said, “and so the more talented people with stronger education, the better our care in the community will be.”
Buetow said while the nation as a whole faces a shortage of nurses, Springfield-area health care systems have made strides in recruiting and retaining staff. This alliance, he said, will help them stay ahead of the curve.
A press release states that, “when the partnership is fully implemented, the Alliance will be the largest producer of health science professionals in the Midwest.”
The alliance will be housed in Cox North, including where Cox College is currently located. It will be incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation owned by the four parties and governed by a board of directors.
