Finalized state budget boosts workforce efforts with a $15 million investment in The Alliance for Healthcare Education

For immediate release

June 28, 2024

Missouri has taken a major step forward in workforce development today as Governor Mike Parson signed a state budget that provides $15 million in support for The Alliance for Healthcare Education.

Because of this critical support, The Alliance for Healthcare Education will be able to jumpstart opportunities to educate the future of the health care industry. This funding will be used to finance construction – renovating facilities on the Cox North campus to create a state-of-the-art learning space – educational programs and more as The Alliance works to expand the health care workforce pipeline in our region.

“We are grateful for the incredible state support for The Alliance for Healthcare Education,” says Shallina Goodnight, executive director of The Alliance. “We have brought together four regional powerhouses in education and health care, and this additional state support will drive us even faster toward our vision.”

The Alliance, which launched last August, is a partnership between CoxHealth, Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools.

The unprecedented partnership has launched at a key time in our region’s history. Like the rest of the nation, southwest Missouri has a labor challenge in health care — a shortage of labor supply at the same time that we continue to serve a growing population of patients entering their senior years.

“To meet that need, we simply had to think differently,” Goodnight says. “We needed to find ways to join forces and create paths to not only educate the next generation, but also to positively transform the health and prosperity of our region for generations to come.”

The Alliance is designed to provide unparalleled access to interdisciplinary education and industry experiences.

“High School students will receive industry-specific training and earn career certifications alongside their diplomas, giving them a head start in their careers,” Goodnight says. “At the same time, adults have the opportunity to skill up and reach their full professional potential — all within a seamlessly integrated system.”

Springfield Public Schools students will have access to certificate and associate degree programs at no cost, while health care employees can pursue education subsidized by their employers.

Education and health care are major engines for our region’s economy, and The Alliance for Healthcare Education leverages both for our future. OTC and Missouri State both have record enrollments, Springfield Public Schools is Missouri’s largest school district, and CoxHealth is nearing a record 14,000 employees.

“Individually, The Alliance’s partners are achieving significant milestones,” says Goodnight. “Now is the perfect time for regional leaders to unite, leveraging the combined strengths of our partners to drive economic growth, health care access and the production of health sciences professionals.”

The Alliance will begin with its first 32 students this fall, as it prepares for a full program launch in fall 2025.

"We are incredibly thankful for the Governor’s support and vision for this project. We also owe a great deal of gratitude to key elected officials like Sen. Lincoln Hough, Rep. Cody Smith, and our Southwest delegation, who truly helped realize the vision of The Alliance,” Goodnight says. “This investment will accelerate our efforts to cultivate the next generation of health care professionals, leaving a lasting impact on our community.”

About The Alliance

The Alliance is a bold, collaborative approach that will develop the talent to meet – and exceed – our region’s health care workforce needs for decades to come.

The entity is an unprecedented partnership between CoxHealth, Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools.

When the partnership is fully realized, the Alliance will be the largest producer of health sciences professionals in the Midwest.

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