About KHA

Building the Health Care Workforce from the Ground Up

The Kansas Hospital Association appreciates the opportunity to highlight workforce strategies that honor employees, providers or volunteers who make significant contributions to the well-being, retention or recruitment of health care workers at their facility. Thank you to SCK Health for sharing their strategies.

As hospitals across Kansas work to strengthen their workforce pipelines, Ascension Via Christi is investing early—long before students ever submit a job application. Through the St. Gianna Catholic Health Academy and the MedEd Academy, Via Christi is introducing high school students to real-world health care experiences that are shaping career decisions and building a sustainable future workforce.

The St. Gianna Catholic Health Academy partners with Kapaun Mt. Carmel and Bishop Carroll Catholic High Schools to offer a semester-long, immersive experience for select high school seniors. Students spend their days inside Via Christi St. Francis and Via Christi St. Joseph hospitals, rotating through 35–40 shadow sites that include nursing units, surgical areas, therapy services, imaging, laboratory sciences and more. Alongside hands-on exposure, students complete coursework in medical terminology, giving them a strong academic and practical foundation.

“The goal is full immersion,” said Stanley May, Director of the St. Gianna Health Academy. “Students need to see what health care really looks like—both the rewards and the challenges—so they can make informed decisions about their future.”

A key component of both academies is the active involvement of Via Christi’s physicians, nurses and health care professionals, who serve as preceptors and mentors for participating students. Despite the fast pace and demands of hospital work, staff across departments consistently welcome students into their clinical environments, offering guidance, answering questions and modeling professionalism at the bedside. “For the most part, our health care professionals are incredibly willing to work with the students,” May said. “They understand the impact of showing students what it looks like to care for patients well and to enjoy the work they do.”

Building on the success of St. Gianna, Via Christi launched the MedEd Academy in 2023 to expand access to students at Wichita West and Wichita North high schools. The expansion has helped reach more students from underrepresented communities, strengthening diversity within the health care pipeline and broadening awareness of the many career paths available beyond traditional roles.

The results are tangible. Approximately 90 percent of students completing the academies report plans to major in a health-related field, with an estimated 70–80 percent ultimately entering the health care workforce. While nursing remains the most popular interest, students are also pursuing careers in medicine, epidemiology, psychology, radiology and other specialties.

“I may not always know where students land geographically, but many stay in touch,” May said. “They text, ask for references and share milestones. It’s rewarding to see them succeed.”

For Via Christi, the benefit extends beyond recruitment numbers. Students graduate with familiarity with hospital culture, workflows and mission—creating a smoother transition into internships, clinical placements and future employment. By investing in early exposure and meaningful mentorship, these programs are helping ensure a prepared, passionate and resilient health care workforce for Kansas communities.