Hartford HealthCare, Goodwin Launch Partnership

Hartford HealthCare and the Goodwin University System announced a partnership Oct. 12 to expand Connecticut’s healthcare workforce pipeline.

It will serve learners from elementary school to graduate programs, as well as working adults looking to start or advance a career in the field.

The partnership was announced at a press conference on the university’s East Hartford campus, attended by leaders from both organizations, students, educators, and state and community leaders.

The two organizations will establish a “lifecycle of learning” model that guides learners from career exploration to education, training, and long-term professional growth in healthcare.

The initiative includes Goodwin University, its magnet school system, and the University of Bridgeport, and serves learners from elementary school through undergraduate and graduate programs.

High Demand

Hartford HealthCare president and CEO Jeff Flaks called the need for healthcare workers “tremendous,” with more than 15,000 current job openings.

He said the partnership will let the system reach people earlier, build new curricula, and find new ways to inspire people to enter the field.

Since 2005, Goodwin has graduated more than 4,500 nurses, many of whom have gone on to serve patients throughout Hartford HealthCare.

Since 2005, Goodwin has graduated more than 4,500 nurses.

Goodwin president Mark Scheinberg stressed the university’s workforce focus.

“Goodwin is unabashedly a workforce institution, not a research institution,” he said.

He added about 95% of Goodwin students stay in Connecticut after graduating, and with the average student age at 30, many are returning to school or starting a second career.

Connecting High School Students

The first phase will focus on the Connecticut River Academy, part of the Goodwin University Magnet School System.

Hartford HealthCare senior vice president of HR and talent strategy Melanie Tucker said students will be connected with healthcare career exposure, college credits, and future career pathways.

Tucker noted that a health system is “like a little city unto itself,” with roles for people of many different skills and interests.

“We have a need for healthcare workers that exceeds the healthcare workers coming out of school,” she told the Hartford Courant.

“It is actually creating an additional level of value to their diploma.”

Goodwin’s Salvatore Menzo

“Talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity and education is not.

“These are students that are working in the communities that we serve, it really is win-win all around.”

Students can also receive clinical experiences and educational support, while working adults can earn certificates, degrees, and other credentials for their careers.

Salvatore Menzo, superintendent of the Goodwin magnet schools, said the partnership goes beyond exposing students to possible career paths.

“The way that we see this partnership, it is actually creating an additional level of value to their diploma and that is something you can’t put a price on,” he said.

Sector Growth

Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in Connecticut, with a constant need for trained professionals who provide care more than 11 million times each year.

The Governor’s Workforce Council’s 2020 strategic plan projected demand for more than 7,000 healthcare-related jobs a year in Connecticut.

Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing industries in Connecticut.

The Goodwin agreement follows other education partnerships Hartford HealthCare has developed.

In 2022, the health system committed to investing $5 million over five years in a workforce-focused partnership with Quinnipiac University.

That agreement expanded clinical rotations and added educational benefits for Hartford HealthCare employees.