Strengthening the rural workforce: East Alabama Health tackles nursing shortage

Maintaining a trained workforce is one of the greatest challenges facing rural hospitals today. In Alabama, the shortage is particularly and increasingly severe, especially when it comes to nurses. East Alabama Health is addressing the problem in multiple ways.

In 2024, East Alabama Health partnered with Chattahoochee Valley Community College to launch an onsite LPN school for its employees. Students maintain their employment with the health system and continue to receive pay as they take classes. They are guaranteed employment as LPNs upon graduation.

East Alabama Health also sponsors 10 spots each semester for employees to enroll in Southern Union State Community College’s nursing programand has partnered with multiple universities and community colleges to offer a registered apprentice program, which provides work-based learning and paid on-the-job experience along with classroom instruction.

Selected applicants get their tuition, books and fees covered by East Alabama Health in exchange for a work commitment once they complete their degree. In addition to getting paid for their required hours, students are guaranteed 24 additional hours of work a month. That means not only do the students improve their financial security, but they also get even more hands-on training.

Apprentice programs at East Alabama Health cover other crucial roles in health care, including medical coders, scrub techs and certified nursing assistants. Between October 20234 and September 2025, East Alabama Health provided nearly $700,000 in educational employees through scholarship loan programs and tuition reimbursement, cultivating a highly trained, financially secure workforce from within.