New Collaboration to Increase Access to In-Demand Health Careers and Address Health Care Workforce Shortage

Claude Moore Scholars conducting research

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services and The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation are partnering to enrich the Claude Moore Scholars Program.

The George Mason College of Health and Human Services and The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Announce Collaboration to Expand Workforce Development Initiatives.

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services and The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation announce today a collaboration to help prepare a skilled and culturally competent health care workforce in response to critical shortages.  The collaboration will expand and enrich the Claude Moore Scholars Program, an initiative to prepare high school students for entry level health care positions through certifications and flexible higher education degrees. In honor of the collaboration, Claude Moore has made a gift of $500,000 to the College.

The Claude Moore Scholars Program offers early education interventions to encourage students to pursue high demand, entry-level health care careers in fields such as health informatics, medical laboratory technology, pharmacy technology, licensed practical nursing, certified nursing assistant, emergency medical technician (EMT), radiology technician, and surgical sterilization technician.

“It’s critical to ensure we have a prepared health care workforce for all career stages, from entry level to professional staff. With this initiative, we will help to grow the number of graduates completing certifications while in high school and to promote access pathways for students wanting to pursue undergraduate degrees,” says Dr. Germaine Louis, Dean of the College of Health and Human Services.   

“The Claude Moore Scholars Program is a triumvirate collaboration between Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, George Mason University, and area health care systems to provide practical learning environments and help build a stronger healthcare workforce,” says J. Lambert, Executive Director and Trustee, Claude Moore Charitable Foundation.

The collaboration will help expand the Claude Moore Scholars program by providing necessary infrastructure and assessment tools needed to more broadly disseminate the model throughout the Commonwealth.  There are currently more than 2,100 Claude Moore Scholars graduates to-date from 12 locations throughout Virginia. The collaboration will allow for expansion to 132 additional jurisdictions over the next ten years.

Developing the health career workforce is central to the tri-part mission of the newly opened Population Health Center located on Mason’s Fairfax Campus. This collaboration between the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and the College is an example of the transdisciplinary workforce development initiatives envisioned for the Center.

Claude Moore Scholars place in Population Health Center

Developing the health career workforce is central to the tri-part mission of the newly opened Population Health Center on Mason’s Fairfax Campus.