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South Piedmont AHEC Regional
Workforce in Motion Newsletter
July 2025
Recruit, Train, and Retain:
Developing the Workforce for a Healthy North Carolina

Collaborative Corner

Welcome Message: We are pleased to present the inaugural issue of the South Piedmont AHEC Regional Workforce In Motion Newsletter — a monthly source dedicated to advancing healthcare workforce development across our 8 county region (Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Stanly, and Union).

As a regional collaborative, our goal is to bring together a strategic alliance of healthcare providers, educational institutions, workforce development boards, community organizations, and economic development leaders. Our shared mission is to create sustainable, high impact healthcare pathways that meet both current and future workforce demands.

This publication serves as a communication platform to keep you, our valued stakeholders and partners informed of ongoing initiatives, emerging opportunities, and measurable progress. Future editions will feature regional data insights, project milestones, cross-sector partnerships, and success stories that demonstrate the collective impact of our work. 

We recognize the critical role our partners play in advancing this mission. Your continued support and engagement are essential to the success and sustainability of our efforts. We look forward to keeping you informed and inspired as we grow our impact—together.

Kimberly Schnitzler, RN, MSN
South Piedmont AHEC Regional Workforce Development Project Manager
    
Workforce Pulse: Regional Snapshot
The 2025 Employer Data Collection Survey is Complete!
 
Thank you to all those who participated in the regional data collection efforts. We had a tremendous response from our regional employers and educators and early reports indicate that the data is robust and comprehensive. The quality of the data collected ensures the results and analysis lead to actionable steps to improve our healthcare workforce. Currently our data analysts are busy at work updating our regional profile report and hope to have the final product available for distribution in the next few months. View the 2024 South Piedmont Region’s Data Profile.
 
Health Talent Alliance News: New Hires!
I am excited to announce that Trish Farnham and Emily McCartha have joined the team at the NC Center on the Workforce for Health. Trish and Emily have been close collaborators over the past year, helping lead and shape initiatives critical to the Center’s early successes. I’ve shared additional information below, and further details are available on our website announcement.
Emily McCartha, PhD, joins the Center as Senior Policy Analyst, which is a new role that will help align policy and research efforts needed to inform decision-making and workforce planning among partners. She joins the Center from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, where she spent four years conducting state and national studies on healthcare workforce trends, including driving data analysis for the NC Health Talent Alliance. In this capacity, she will continue to contribute to NC Health Talent Alliance while building out the Center’s broader portfolio of research. She was previously a Senior Program Evaluator at the NC General Assembly and currently teaches as an adjunct instructor at the UNC School of Government. She earned her PhD in Public Administration from NC State and earned her Masters and Bachelors from University of Texas.
Trish Farnham, joins the Center as Caregiving Workforce Analyst, which will drive implementation of recommendations made by the Caregiving Workforce Strategic Leadership Council and support alignment among similar state reports. She brings in depth expertise on the direct care workforce with decades of professional experience at the NC Coalition on Aging, NC DHHS, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities, and hands-on experience as a direct care worker and family caregiver. She holds a law degree from Georgia State University and degrees in Geography and American Studies from Miami University.

Andy MacCracken
Director, NC Center on the Workforce for Health
www.workforcehealth.org
 

Workforce Pulse: Voices in the Field

Nursing is rapidly evolving in response to staff shortages, rising patient complexity, and outdated care models. Nurse leaders nationwide are proactively redesigning care with bold, innovative strategies.
 
Wolters Kluwer Lippincott® Solutions launched the FutureCare Nursing 2025 initiative to explore how nursing models shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic have changed. The report covers:
  • Innovative care delivery approaches
  • Impacts on recruitment, retention, and training
  • Emerging nursing roles
  • New performance evaluation strategies
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Based on insights from 157 chief nursing officers (CNOs), the report offers a forward-looking view of how the profession is adapting to meet current and future demands. Download the full report here!
NC AHEC RN Refresher Program and Interest-Free Loan
Available for RN Refresher Students

Starting October 2024, the NC AHEC RN Refresher Program is available at a new, lower price. This program is designed for registered nurses with a lapsed license over five years or active RNs looking to update their knowledge. The program aims to help more nurses return to the field, open various career pathways, and improve healthcare in North Carolina.

The flexible program, approved by the NC Board of Nursing, includes 24 self-paced online modules and a 140-hour clinical practicum managed by your local AHEC. For active RNs seeking to refresh their knowledge, the clinical practicum is optional.

Additionally, the Forward Fund offers a 0% interest loan to help students cover their cost of attendance and living expenses while enrolled in the program. The regional RN Refresher Coordinator will be able to share more information when they meet with the RN Refresher students.

NC AHEC Nursing Clinical Instructor Partner (CIP) Course

This course prepares RNs working in a dual role as clinician and instructor for an academic/practice partnership, enabling them to lead a group of nursing students. Approved by the NC Board of Nursing, the course meets the 45-hour teaching and learning requirement for new faculty. It is taught through online modules, live webinars, and a shadow experience, in a cohort of your peers. NC AHEC commits to offering CIP training three times per year. Since 2023, 75 new CIPs have been trained.

The CIP Cohort 8 Training
  • Complete online modules between 09/03/25 to 10/01/25.
  • Live Webinar Day 1: 10/2/25 8:30 am - 5 pm
  • Live webinar Day 2: 10/3/25 8:30 am - 5 pm
  • Complete a 16-hour shadow experience between 10/4/25 to 11/13/25. Learner must arrange a shadow experience.
  • Live webinar Day 3: 11/14/25 8:30am - 12 pm

Pathway Spotlight: Careers in Focus

Cleveland County Schools Partner to
Build Healthcare Workforce Pipeline: 

In February 2025, the Golden LEAF Foundation awarded over $1.2 million to Cleveland County Schools, Cleveland Community College, and Gardner-Webb University to launch a Healthcare Educational Pathway that addresses local healthcare workforce shortages and creates clear, collaborative career paths for students—from high school through graduate-level training.

Key Highlights: Cleveland County Schools Partner to Build Healthcare Workforce Pipeline:
  • Cleveland County Schools received $360,590 to expand healthcare career opportunities at Turning Point Academy, targeting alternative school students with high barriers to traditional education. The program offers exposure to healthcare careers and entry-level certifications like CNA.
  • Cleveland Community College received $622,662 to create a Health Science Academy—a regional hub offering dual-enrollment programs in nursing, medical assisting, sonography, and more. Summer programs aim to spark early interest, with credentialed completions expected to rise from 3 to 50 annually.
  • Gardner-Webb University was granted $290,408 to develop a Summer Bridge Program for high schoolers and to enhance hands-on learning for 320 nursing students through upgraded equipment. Students will earn third-party certifications (e.g., CPR) and engage in immersive healthcare experiences.
Impact:
 
This initiative unites a K-12 district, a community college, and a private university under a shared vision: to build a strong, local healthcare talent pipeline. It also aligns with Golden LEAF’s Workforce Preparedness priority by supporting job creation, educational access, and long-term economic growth in Cleveland County.

Access full article here.

On the Horizon: Upcoming Events

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South Piedmont AHEC Regional Healthcare Workforce Collaborative Meeting

September 18, 2025 | 2 PM–3:30 PM

The South Piedmont AHEC Collaborative will reconvene regularly scheduled meeting starting September 18th. We will be utilizing the summer months to recruit additional members to join the collaborative, updating our regional profile with the newly collected 2025 survey responses, as well as planning the agenda for our September kick-off meeting.

Register Now
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Health Careers
Conference and Expo

October 8, 2025 | 9 AM–1:30 PM

Sponsored by South Piedmont AHEC and UNC Charlotte, this FREE event will provide prospective health careers high school students with the opportunity to explore a variety of health careers pathways. The event will feature campus tours, key impact speakers and an interactive expo packed with healthcare professionals and health science programs.

More info
If you would like to add content to future editions of the South Piedmont AHEC Regional Workforce In Motion Newsletter, please email Kim Schnitzler.

We welcome everyone’s participation and engagement in helping to
make this communication platform useful and meaningful in the work
that we are trying to achieve.
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