VISALIA, CA — Kaweah Health celebrated the graduation of its first nursing class this month under a partnership designed to fix the area’s long-term nursing shortage. The group of 13 students earned four-year nursing degrees through a collaboration with Unitek College.
The program, which began in 2020, lets hospital employees go to school while keeping their jobs. This setup helps staff advance their careers while filling critical roles at the hospital.
These efforts are already showing results. According to hospital data, the percentage of unfilled nursing positions at Kaweah Health has dropped from 25% in 2021 to 7% this month. The hospital currently reports 70 open spots for registered nurses out of about 1,000 nursing jobs.
Hospital officials expect the nursing program to keep growing. With about 160 staff members currently enrolled, the hospital plans for 50 students to graduate each year. Leadership believes this will provide a steady flow of local nurses to fill staffing gaps.
To address further needs, Kaweah Health has also formed partnerships with other local colleges. These include an alliance with Porterville College to offer more training opportunities. Additionally, a joint medical imaging program with San Joaquin Valley College trains students to use X-rays and medical scans.
The focus on training its own staff comes as hospitals across the country struggle to find enough workers. Hospital leadership said the goal is to keep positions filled with permanent staff and improve the quality of medical care for the region.
