The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is on a mission to address the state's critical health care staffing crisis. Located in Demopolis, this residential high school is set to enroll its first ninth-grade class in 2026. By offering certification levels beyond what's currently available in Alabama high schools, it aims to train students for various roles across the medical field.

Addressing Rural Health Care Shortages

Alabama faces severe health care provider shortages, especially in rural areas. Rural counties have far fewer primary care physicians per resident compared to urban areas. With the rural population in decline, especially in the Black Belt, those remaining are older adults facing growing obstacles to accessing health care. In 2020, Alabama averaged one physician per 1,520 residents, but rural counties like Wilcox and Lowndes had much worse ratios, with one physician serving 5,103 and 9,641 residents respectively. These shortages lead to health disparities, with the Black Belt experiencing some of the state's worst health outcomes. Life expectancy in every Black Belt county is below the state average of nearly 75 years, with Wilcox County residents living an average of 69.8 years.

Building the School and Dormitory

Bloomberg Philanthropies' initiative is providing $26 million of the estimated $80 million needed to build the dormitory and campus facilities. A groundbreaking is expected by mid-2025, and the five-story dorm will be the tallest building in Demopolis. This school is the only rural residential school funded by Bloomberg, highlighting its significance in addressing the state's health care needs.

Finalizing the Curriculum

The board will convene a curriculum committee in December to finalize curriculum requirements that align with high school graduation requirements and health care certifications. These requirements will be presented to the board for discussion. The curriculum will involve partnerships with community colleges and regional hospitals, allowing students to gain clinical hours. This approach ensures that students receive practical training while preparing for their future careers in health care.

Recruitment and Workforce Pipeline

State Superintendent Eric Mackey emphasized that the school's recruitment strategy will focus on drawing students from across the state. The goal is to build a workforce pipeline beyond those wanting to attend medical school, like nursing. "Essentially all the recruitment is going to be done in middle schools, and you're telling people 'Send your child off at age 14 to a boarding school' and 'Here's what we offer,' then you're going to have to have a pretty robust package to get people to do that," Mackey said.

Looking to the Future

Pearson expressed optimism for the project despite the challenges. "Bloomberg is really interested to see how this goes, because that may become the model nationwide. Their goal is to perfect the 9th through 12th experience to meet the health care needs of the future," Pearson said. The board plans to reconvene in February 2025 to review progress on the presidential search and curriculum development. This shows the commitment to moving the school forward and ensuring its success in training the next generation of health care professionals.