Northwell, NYC Public Schools to launch healthcare high school

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To address workforce shortages in healthcare, Northwell Health and New York City Public Schools are partnering to design a career-focused high school. The Northwell School of Health Sciences – a $24.9 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Northwell, and New York City Schools – will aim to help students prepare for well-paying health-care careers.

Slated to open in the fall of 2025 in Woodside, Queens, the school will integrate healthcare career knowledge and job training with a high-quality, well-rounded high school experience for students in New York. In addition graduating students will be able to enter into high-demand healthcare jobs.At capacity, it will serve about 900 students.

“We are very grateful for this opportunity to work with Bloomberg and our partners in the New York City Department of Education,” Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell, said in a written statement. “What we plan to build together in Queens is bigger than just one school – it’s a visionary collaboration to improve public health and promote health equity in this city and beyond.

The effort comes at a time of a talent shortage. By 2030, New York could face a shortage of nearly 40,000 nurses, according to Northwell.

The high school is part of a $250 million initiative, which is is the first of its kind supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The organization is creating new career-learning high schools in 10 urban and rural communities, including Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Houston, TX; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA; Demopolis, AL and northeast TN, where it will have six locations. The schools are expected to ultimately serve 6,000 students.

In New York, Northwell and New York Schools will codevelop the curriculum. It will include “robust academic programming, specialized healthcare classes, work-based learning, and the opportunity to earn industry-valued credentials and certifications along with traditional high school learning and diplomas,” according to a news release about the high school.

Graduates will have the opportunity to gain experience and apply for jobs at Northwell upon graduation. These include jobs in such fields as nursing, diagnostic medicine, physical therapy and behavioral health. The entry-level salaries offer a living wage, a clear pathway to growth opportunities.

“For too long, our education system has failed to prepare students for good jobs in high-growth industries,” Michael  Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP and 108th mayor of New York City, said in a written statement. “By combining classroom learning with hands-on experience, these specialized health-care high schools will prepare students for careers with opportunities for growth and advancement. America needs more health care workers, and we need a stronger, larger middle-class –and this is a way to help accomplish both goals.”

“New York City public schools are training our young people today for the jobs of tomorrow,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a written statement. “Healthcare workers showed us, especially during the pandemic, that not all heroes were capes, many wear scrubs. Thank you to Bloomberg Philanthropies, Northwell Health, and the Department of Education for investing $25 million to create a brand new pipeline in Woodside for 900 public school students to enter the workforce, save lives, and become the next generation of healthcare heroes.”

Dowling said that the collaboration “is a new model for education that will create a better future for thousands of students and make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare for countless more. As the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York, Northwell remains committed to attracting and preparing more students for careers in healthcare that we need now and for our future.”

“It is paramount that we give our young people the bright starts that will lead them to bold futures, and this new school is a consummate example of reimagining the student experience,” David  Banks, chancellor of New York City Public Schools. “This venture is a tremendous example of the way that public-private partnerships bridge gaps and build gateways to opportunity for our young people.”