Case Study: Meadville Medical Center 2026 Achievement Award

Workforce Innovators Award | Small/Medium Division

Building Tomorrow's Nurses: Innovation in Nursing School Development

The Goal

The closure of two regional nursing schools threatened an already fragile rural workforce pipeline. These programs had served the community for generations, and losing them would have made it even harder for local hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, and outpatient providers to recruit nurses. The team needed a way to preserve local access to nursing education and build a more sustainable workforce for the region.

The Intervention

To restore the local workforce pipeline, the hospital brought nursing education directly into the organization, creating both practical nursing and registered nursing pathways. The team developed the curriculum, secured state approval, pursued accreditation, and shaped the programs around the realities of rural students, including cost, travel, and work or family responsibilities.

The programs offered flexible timelines, local clinical placements, centralized classroom instruction, and scholarship support to make nursing education more accessible. Experienced hospital employees also moved into faculty roles, while a local college partnership supported registered nursing coursework and strengthened the programs’ long-term academic stability.

Results

Within 18 months, the practical nursing program graduated its first cohort of 11 students, with all tested graduates passing the licensure exam. Most graduates accepted positions with local health care providers, helping address workforce needs across the region. The registered nursing program is expected to graduate its first cohort in May 2026, with most students anticipated to remain with the organization. These early results show the program is not only training nurses locally, but also helping ensure they begin their careers in the communities that need them.

 

 

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Topics: Quality Initiatives, Workforce

Revision Date: 8/17/2026

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