The Institute for Nursing and Allied Health Advancement powered by Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) convened its quarterly meeting this week, bringing together health care leaders and partners along with college administrators and academic leaders to collaborate on strategies that strengthen the regions health care talent pipeline and address evolving industry needs.
The meeting opened with welcome remarks highlighting the Institute’s continued commitment to advancing high-quality education and workforce readiness across nursing and allied health disciplines. Participants across the 12 health care partner organizations then received a legislative update and an overview of opportunities in health care education and workforce initiatives.
A central focus of the meeting was the recruitment pipeline with partners sharing updates on outreach efforts, job fairs, health care career fairs, student engagement strategies and pathways designed to attract and retain future health care professionals. Discussions emphasized the importance of early exposure, community partnerships and innovative approaches to meet growing workforce demands. This summer a summer camp on health care discovery will be held at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch for middle and high school students to encourage early exposure to health care career opportunities.
Academic program leaders provided updates across several high-demand disciplines, including health care programs, respiratory therapy, medical assistant, surgical technology and radiography. Presentations highlighted local workforce data in key allied health occupations and projected employment growth with health care occupations showing sustained growth through 2033, including medical assistant, respiratory therapy and dental hygienist.
PHSC is also exploring the development of an Associate in Science degree in respiratory care to help expand the local pipeline of licensed respiratory therapists for Pasco and Hernando counties health care providers. Labor market data* for the PHSC service area indicates sustained demand for respiratory therapists. Current employment is projected to grow from 298 to 332 positions by 2033, with 147 total openings and a 2024 median hourly wage of $38.40 per hour. These figures suggest continued need for both replacement hires and new workforce supply in the region.
Additional academic updates include the introduction of a Medical Assistant Bootcamp this summer that will be open to all Institute health care partner organizations. This will prepare students for the Certified Medical Assistant exam. To increase the pipeline, PHSC will be updating its Medical Assistant Program, which is currently 1,300 hours. This fall the program will be modified to be completed in 900 hours so that students will be able to be job ready in less time.
“The strength of the Institute lies in its partnerships,” said Ginnie Whitaker, director of strategic initiatives at PHSC. “By working together, we are building a sustainable, highly skilled health care workforce that meets the needs of our community today and into the future.”
The Institute partners meet quarterly to foster collaboration, share insights and develop actionable solutions that support health care education and workforce development across the region.
*Source: Florida Commerce State Colleges Projections Portal data provided in PHSC labor market workbook.