{"id":53024,"date":"2026-05-11T15:12:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=53024"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:12:45","slug":"acc-school-districts-and-healthcare-leaders-launch-central-texas-healthcare-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/05\/11\/acc-school-districts-and-healthcare-leaders-launch-central-texas-healthcare-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"ACC, School Districts, and Healthcare Leaders Launch Central Texas Healthcare Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53026\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2026\/05\/RS33127_20260511-HLC-CTX-HS-Avcademies-ca-207_scr.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><strong><em>$10 million investment from Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, St. David\u2019s Foundation, and more supports new ACC-led academy<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Healthcare employers across Central Texas continue to face persistent workforce shortages in critical roles, from nursing to surgical technology. A new regional model is now training future healthcare workers earlier, where students can start as early as ninth grade and finish high school with a workforce credential.<\/p>\n<p>Austin Community College District (ACC), in partnership with Hays CISD, Pflugerville ISD, Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Rural Capital Area, along with all the major healthcare systems in Central Texas, launched the Central Texas Healthcare Academy on Monday, May 11, at the ACC Highland Campus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudent success takes all of us. When K\u201312, higher education, and employers come together, students start earlier, gain real experience, and move into high-value careers with confidence,\u201d said Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, ACC Chancellor. \u201cACC is proud to help bring that together to connect partners, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and create lasting opportunity. That\u2019s how we care for our students, and it\u2019s how we build the skilled workforce Central Texas needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Central Texas Healthcare Academy is backed by $10 million in investments:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>$6.3 million grant from the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation<\/li>\n<li>$3.2 million in support from Bloomberg Philanthropies<\/li>\n<li>$740,000 investment from St. David\u2019s HealthCare Foundation to support planning and regional partnership development<\/li>\n<li>$300,000 contribution from the High Demand Jobs Training Fund Investment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThese investments reflect a shared belief that students deserve clearer pathways into high-demand careers and that Central Texas must take a regional approach to building the healthcare workforce,\u201d said Dr. Garrett Groves, ACC vice chancellor for Strategic Initiatives. \u201cThis is what long-term workforce transformation looks like. ACC is proud to lead the regional infrastructure that aligns education with industry demand, expands opportunity for students earlier, and creates a scalable model for how communities can grow and sustain their own talent pipelines. By working together, more students can move seamlessly from high school into college and meaningful healthcare careers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re proud to support the Central Texas Healthcare Academy, helping students build strong, in\u2011demand healthcare careers,\u201d said Aliya Hussaini, head of health initiatives at the Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation. \u201cCentral Texas is where our foundation was founded, and for more than 20 years, we\u2019ve invested here to expand health and economic opportunity. Inspired by Bloomberg Philanthropies\u2019 healthcare-focused high schools initiative and led by outstanding local school districts and employers, this regional partnership lays the groundwork for long-term impact \u2014 good jobs and a healthier Austin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe goal of our healthcare-focused high schools initiative is to create a model that can be replicated and scaled,\u201d said Jenny Kane, who leads the Career and Technical Education portfolio at Bloomberg Philanthropies. \u201cWe are so excited to partner with the Dell Foundation on the Central Texas Healthcare Academy to further demonstrate how education systems and employers can come together to create real pathways from the classroom to high-demand healthcare careers. By aligning curriculum, hands-on training, and industry needs, this model not only addresses critical workforce shortages but also ensures students graduate with the skills, credentials, and opportunities to succeed\u2014and it\u2019s a blueprint we believe can continue to be replicated across communities nationwide.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The academy is designed in collaboration with regional healthcare partners, including Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott &amp; White Health, Central Health, and St. David\u2019s HealthCare, aligning training with real workforce needs across hospitals, clinics, and care systems.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bridging K\u201312, College, and Industry<\/h3>\n<p>Students can begin as early as ninth grade, earning college credit through ACC while completing hands-on training aligned with employer needs. Graduates leave with a high school diploma and an industry-recognized healthcare credential, with the option to continue into an associate degree, all at no-cost for tuition for the student.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt Hays CISD, our mission is to ensure every student has a clear pathway to success, and the launch of the Central Texas Healthcare Academy makes that mission 100% possible,\u201d said Dr. Eric Wright, Superintendent at Hays CISD. \u201cWe are incredibly excited to offer our students this high-level opportunity to earn college credits and real-world training in four critical healthcare fields while they are still in high school. This would not be possible without generous support from The Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, St. David\u2019s Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. By partnering with Austin Community College and Workforce Solutions Capital Area, we aren\u2019t just giving our students a head start on their associate degree, we are answering the call of our community. This academy allows us to provide a homegrown, highly skilled talent pipeline for our local healthcare industry, ensuring our students become the outstanding professionals who will care for Central Texas for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJoining the Central Texas Healthcare Academy is a natural extension of PfISD\u2019s commitment to opening doors for our students,\u201d said Dr. Quentin Shepherd, superintendent at Pflugerville ISD. \u201cThrough this partnership with Austin Community College and our regional healthcare community, students can graduate not just with a diploma, but with real credentials, real experience, and a real future in one of the most in-demand fields in our region.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Career Pathways<\/h3>\n<p>The Academy launches in fall 2026 with about 560 students from both Pflugerville and Hays Consolidated school districts already enrolled.&nbsp; Five career pathways are available:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Professional Nursing<\/li>\n<li>Diagnostic Medical Imaging<\/li>\n<li>Surgical Technology<\/li>\n<li>Health Information Technology<\/li>\n<li>Paramedic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Students progress through a structured sequence of courses and training experiences over four years, building toward a credential that can be applied immediately or stacked into further education at ACC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would be most excited for Surgical Technology because it offers a fast-paced, hands-on environment that I can truly see myself thriving in. I am eager to use my skills to serve my community and contribute to something bigger than myself,\u201d said Essence Bostick, PfISD student. \u201cAfter touring Austin Community College in December during my pathways class, I am especially excited about the opportunity to partner with ACC. The program felt very welcoming, and the facilities and learning environment were impressive and inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I am really excited about this opportunity because I feel the program is more focused on what I want to do! Instead of just being in science classes, it is specific to the career I want to do, and I feel that I will be better prepared with this type of focused program,\u201d said Presley Mack, incoming Hays High School student.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some students will complete the program with the qualifications needed to enter the workforce. Others can continue into advanced training with ACC to earn an associate degree.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about the Central Texas Healthcare Academy, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/austincc.edu\/healthcare-academies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">austincc.edu\/healthcare-academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>$10 million investment from Michael &amp; Susan Dell Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, St. David\u2019s Foundation, and more supports new ACC-led academy Healthcare employers across Central Texas continue to face persistent workforce shortages in critical roles, from &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/05\/11\/acc-school-districts-and-healthcare-leaders-launch-central-texas-healthcare-academy\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3930,"featured_media":53025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,12,13,15,18,19],"tags":[4393,4390,230,4391,593,4395,4392,3306,4394,2270],"class_list":["post-53024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-announcements","category-business-and-community","category-current-students","category-facstaff-news","category-official-acc-press-releases","category-students-and-alumni","tag-bloomberg-philanthropies","tag-central-texas-healthcare-academy","tag-hays-cisd","tag-health-professionas","tag-healthcare","tag-high-demand-jobs-training-fund","tag-michael-susan-dell","tag-pflugerville-isd","tag-st-davids-healthcare-foundation","tag-workforce-solutions"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3930"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53024"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53029,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53024\/revisions\/53029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.austincc.edu\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}