The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), through its College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies (CECS), has been awarded a $2 million Rural Health Care Pathways Expansion (RHCPE) Grant to launch the HEALTH Program (High School, Education, and Apprenticeship Programs Leading to Transformative Healthcare Careers). This groundbreaking initiative aims to create seamless, scalable healthcare career pathways for students across rural Tennessee—from high school through graduate school.
The HEALTH Program is designed to increase rural student interest and readiness for healthcare professions by integrating academic curricula with work-based learning, professional mentorship, and hands-on clinical experience. This program expands upon the successful Knox County 865 Academies model in bringing students into career pathways and introduces tailored Health Academies in Claiborne and Roane counties.
“The HEALTH Program reflects UT’s commitment to creating opportunities for students across the state while addressing critical healthcare workforce needs,” said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. “This collaborative effort is a powerful example of UT’s commitment to working with partners to create seamless pathways from high school to meaningful careers.”
“Our new HEALTH Academies are more than academic pathways—they are community-driven partnerships that will reshape how rural students access, experience, and excel in healthcare careers,” said Vice Provost and CECS Founding Dean Ozlem Kilic. “This includes the facilitation of our planned medical sciences degree, developed in collaboration with the UT Graduate School of Medicine, which highlights CECS’s role as a hub for intercollegiate, career-driven programs. By integrating innovative, flexible, work-based, stackable certificates, and customizable degree programs, we’re creating unprecedented access to opportunities in healthcare for students across the state of Tennessee and beyond.”
“The collaboration between UTK CECS and the Graduate School of Medicine is about investing in the future of healthcare for Tennessee’s communities,” said Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education Paige Johnson. “By bringing together classroom learning and real-world clinical experience, we’re helping students see what’s possible for themselves and for the patients they will serve. Our shared commitment is to open doors and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals who will make a true difference where it’s needed most.”
This initiative is made possible through the collaboration of dedicated partners, including the UT Medical Center; Roane State and Walters State Community Colleges; Claiborne and Roane County Schools; and regional healthcare facilities—Claiborne Medical Center, Roane Medical Center, and Rhea Medical Center. Knox County Schools will serve as a guiding partner in expanding the 865 Academies model. Each partner plays a critical role in providing mentorship, clinical opportunities, and educational access for students throughout the HEALTH pathway.
“We are so excited to be working with our partners in Tennessee schools and community colleges, healthcare providers like the UT, Claiborne, Roane and Rhea Medical Centers, and with our colleagues at the UT Health Sciences Center to prepare future generations of healthcare professionals,” said UT’s Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development Deborah Crawford. “By working together, we will demonstrate and deliver a model for rural healthcare education that serves all Tennesseans.”
The program includes dual enrollment for high school students, 2+2 transfer options from community colleges into UTK’s planned medical sciences degree in CECS being developed by faculty from across the University, and guaranteed interview consideration for qualified students applying to the UTHSC College of Medicine in Knoxville. Work-based learning is central to the program, with paid internships, mentorship by academic physicians, and guided pathways to high-demand health careers.
The HEALTH Program not only addresses Tennessee’s urgent healthcare workforce shortages but also stands as a model for rural healthcare education nationwide. The four-year initiative will serve as a launchpad for future expansion across the state through the creation of a Tennessee Health Pathways Summer Institute in year four.
Contact:
Sarah Wyland, Director of Marketing and Communication, College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, [email protected].