Charlotte, N.C.-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the U.S., is partnering with healthcare educator Covista (NYSE: CVSA) to build a direct pipeline of nurses across the communities Advocate Health serves.

Delivered through Chamberlain University, a Covista institution, the program provides students with a scholarship toward their Bachelor of Science in Nursing, clinical experience within Advocate Health care settings, and loan repayment support during employment.

“We are committed to developing a strong, sustainable nursing workforce prepared to meet the evolving needs of our patients and communities," said Betty Jo Rocchio, executive vice president and chief nurse executive, Advocate Health, in a statement. “Our People Forward, Practice Ready strategy is about better attracting, preparing and retaining our nursing teammates. Chamberlain has the resources and footprint to match a system as large as ours, and their focus on nontraditional, working adults means we can reach students who might otherwise never have entered the nursing profession."

The initiative establishes a specialized Acute and Progressive Care nursing pathway, a Practice Ready, Specialty Focused track, combining Chamberlain's clinical education expertise with Advocate Health's facilities and employment opportunities. With recruiting expected to begin next month for classes starting in September, it is purpose-built to grow over time and will serve hundreds of students each year.

"At Advocate Health, we believe building the healthcare workforce of tomorrow starts with removing barriers today,” said Nakesha Lopez, chief people & culture officer, Advocate Health, in a statement. “This collaboration with Covista creates a clear pathway for aspiring nurses—from education to employment—with the financial support they need to succeed. It reflects our commitment to growing talent from the ground up by welcoming them into an organization that will invest in their careers from the very start.”

Covista’s Care Capacity Monitor, fielded by Gallup, found that more than 702,000 jobs are posted every month, with 306,000 unemployed healthcare workers available to fill them, a gap that the company says is widening and directly affecting patient care.

The company noted that nearly 70% of healthcare executives say talent partnerships with educators are among the most effective strategies for meeting their workforce needs, yet only 22% of executives say their organization is significantly investing in them.

"Our work with Advocate Health demonstrates the transformative power of large-scale collaboration between education and healthcare, said Steve Beard, chairman and CEO of Covista, in a statement. “When forward-thinking health systems invest in building that pathway alongside us — combining shared commitment, hands-on training and a direct line to employment — we create something sustainable that neither side could achieve independently. This is the future of strategic healthcare workforce development: purposeful, community-rooted and built to scale.”

Covista said Chamberlain University is the nation's largest nursing school, serving approximately 40,000 students across 24 campuses and with more than 155,000 alumni practicing across all 50 states.