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Springfield, MO
Separate announcements this week will mean new Mercy partnerships in Springfield and northwest Arkansas, officials say.
Mercy and Ozarks Tech
Ozarks Technical Community College and Mercy Springfield Communities are partnering on a program called Win from Within, according to a news release.
The workforce agreement calls on Mercy to pay up to $10,000 in financial assistance per year for three years for qualifying Ozarks Tech health care students to use on tuition, books, registration and lab fees. Participants would be required to work 16 hours per pay period at a Mercy facility and commit to employment with Mercy in the Springfield community after they graduate, according to a news release.
“Ozarks Tech is committed to removing obstacles to education, so this collaboration and program is an excellent fit because it offers an opportunity for those considering the health care profession to get their education and start their career debt-free,” said Aaron Light, dean of health sciences at Ozarks Tech, in the release. “Making this education more accessible will ultimately help grow and stabilize this important segment of our workforce.”
Eligible Ozarks Tech programs are surgical technology, respiratory therapy, radiology, associate of science in nursing and licensed practical nurse.
The release pointed to the latest Missouri Hospital Association workforce report that found a 15.6% vacancy rate for registered nurses and noted that health care is one of the region's top employment opportunities.
NWA agreement
In a separate news release, Mercy announced it would team with the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Heartland Whole Health Institute on a $700 million, 30-year affiliation agreement in northwest Arkansas. The Cleveland Clinic also is collaborating on the project.
Mercy has committed $350 million that will be used, in part, to build a new cardiac care center at its campus in Rogers, Arkansas. The Alice L. Walton Foundation is contributing $350 million that would be used partly to develop a specialty care outpatient center in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“We believe that everyone deserves quality whole health care closer to home,” said philanthropist Alice Walton, founder of Heartland Whole Health Institute and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, in the release. “This powerful collaboration with Mercy and Cleveland Clinic will change the health care landscape in the Heartland, bringing together organizations that are dedicated to increasing quality, reducing costs and making accessible, value-based care a reality.”
Local Mercy spokesperson Ettie Berneking said the northwest Arkansas partnership is expected to enhance cardiology services throughout the Ozarks.
"We regularly see that our size as a ministry across the region is a strength," Berneking said via email. "Our size means our depth of practice is deep, which is attractive to providers who want to practice with the best peers and with the best new technologies and standards. This collaboration will further strengthen our ability to provide world-class care to patients across the Ozarks."
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