A new $5 million partnership aims to address Chicago's critical healthcare worker shortage by creating a direct employment pipeline from City Colleges of Chicago to Cook County Health. The initiative, funded by the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, is set to place 1,000 trained students into essential healthcare roles over the next three years.
The program, named HealthCatalyst Chicago, was announced on May 22, 2025, as the winner of the foundation's inaugural Chicago Talent Challenge. It represents a strategic effort to build a sustainable local workforce, reduce healthcare costs, and provide stable, well-paying career paths for community residents.
Key Takeaways
- The Pritzker Traubert Foundation is investing $5 million in the HealthCatalyst Chicago program.
- The partnership will train City Colleges of Chicago students to fill 1,000 jobs at Cook County Health within three years.
- After the initial period, the program aims to place 400 graduates into jobs annually.
- The initiative is expected to save Cook County Health approximately $1 million per year by reducing reliance on temporary staffing agencies.
Addressing a Critical Need
The collaboration comes at a time when healthcare systems nationwide are facing significant staffing challenges. Projections from the American Hospital Association indicate a potential national shortage of around 100,000 critical healthcare workers by 2028. This initiative directly confronts this trend at the local level.
"We wanted to focus on where there is demand, where there are great jobs," said Cindy Moelis, President of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. She emphasized that the healthcare sector requires skilled and certified labor, making it an ideal area for workforce development.
"It’s a terrific area to encourage more people to come into this area, get great paying jobs. And it also helps our ecosystem in healthcare," Moelis added.
The program will train students for a variety of in-demand, entry-level positions. These roles are crucial for the day-to-day operations of any major health system.
- Medical Assistants
- Patient Care Technicians
- Medical Laboratory Technicians
- Nurses
A Strategic Financial and Community Investment
Beyond filling jobs, the partnership is designed to generate significant financial and social returns. For Cook County Health, the program offers a sustainable alternative to the high costs associated with temporary staffing agencies.
Financial Impact
By hiring full-time employees directly from the community, Cook County Health is estimated to save approximately $1 million annually. This money would otherwise be spent on costly temporary staffing solutions.
Andy Beideman, the foundation's Chief Strategy Officer, highlighted the dual benefits of this approach. "This is an opportunity to be more intentional about hiring, to hire folks from the community that may bring deeper cultural competence to the work that they’re providing in the hospital setting," he explained.
Beideman noted that this model allows the health system to "importantly reduce their reliance on this really expensive staffing model." This shift not only stabilizes the workforce but also reinvests resources back into the community through local employment.
Bolstering Education and Enrollment
City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is also poised to benefit significantly from the partnership. With a guaranteed employment pathway for its graduates, the college system anticipates a notable increase in student enrollment, particularly in its health sciences programs.
Currently, CCC serves around 73,000 students across its seven schools, a figure that has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 17% of these students are enrolled in health sciences, indicating a strong existing interest in the field.
Building on a Strong Foundation
City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado credits a major $250 million investment in 2015 for upgrading the health program at Malcolm X College. He stated this previous investment was crucial in positioning the college system to undertake a large-scale, sustainable partnership like HealthCatalyst Chicago.
"What’s different about this is we’re going to be solving for the workforce needs and the organizational needs of an entire health system," Salgado said. He emphasized the importance of serving Cook County Health, which he described as arguably the most critical healthcare provider for the county's uninsured and Medicaid-recipient residents.
Sustaining the Momentum
To support the long-term goal of placing 400 graduates annually after the initial three years, City Colleges is launching new cohorts for six specific medical career paths. These programs will provide students with hands-on experience in hospital settings, creating a seamless transition from education to employment.
The college also plans to use potential new tuition revenue generated by increased enrollment to further expand its training capacity, ensuring the program's longevity.
A Model for the Nation
Leaders involved in HealthCatalyst Chicago believe the collaboration could serve as a blueprint for other cities across the United States facing similar workforce shortages in healthcare.
The direct partnership between a public community college system and a major public health provider creates a closed-loop system that benefits students, patients, and the local economy simultaneously.
"We’re going to have other health systems that are going to want to do this as a result, and so we think this is going to be a model that will help us to further meet the overall demand in the industry," Salgado projected.
Ultimately, the program's vision extends beyond filling jobs. "At the end, they lead to even more people getting access to these well-paying careers that will provide for their families and ensure a better quality of life for those people,” Salgado concluded.