College of Health and Human Services Hosts NC Alliance for Health Professions Summit

UNC Charlotte’s College of Health and Human Services hosted the 2024 NC Alliance for Health Professions Pathways Summit on October 14. The College was represented by at-large Alliance member J.P. Barfield, Ph.D., who serves as professor and chair of the College’s Applied Physiology, Health, and Clinical Sciences department. 

The NC Alliance for Health Professions is a statewide consortium that brings together colleges, universities, health care organizations, workforce development programs, and community-based agencies to address the critical shortage of health care professionals in North Carolina.

The daylong summit was attended by representatives from institutions including, Duke University School of Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina A&T State University, Winston Salem State University, and East Carolina University.

Also in attendance were students from the City of Medicine Academy in Durham, North Carolina. The Academy is a magnet school for grades 9-12 and is located on the campus of Durham Regional Hospital. The school provides coursework and field opportunities focused on the health care industry. At the summit, the students learned about health science admissions processes and toured the College of Health and Human Sciences.  

The summit offered panel discussions, speakers, and specific tracks for professionals and students. The objectives of the event were to bring together colleges, universities, health care organizations, and local agencies to strengthen efforts in tackling health care workforce shortages; encourage high school and college students students from underserved communities to explore pathways into health careers; and develop strategies to reduce health care disparities by building an inclusive, well-trained workforce.