A Missouri Hospital Association report says in recent times, the shortage of nurses and other healthcare workers has recovered somewhat from pandemic-era struggles. But nursing job vacancies and turnover rates are still stubbornly high in southwest Missouri.
Last August, Missouri State University, CoxHealth, Ozarks Technical Community College and Springfield Public Schools established the Alliance for Healthcare Education. Their goal is to create a more sustainable pipeline of healthcare workers.
This week, the alliance announced that Evangel University, a Springfield-based private college linked to the Assemblies of God church, will be the alliance’s first affiliate partner. Evangel nursing students will be able to attend classes with the alliance beginning in fall 2025.
They’ll be able to pursue a dual-degree program, earning a bachelor of science degree in health care from Evangel, then a second degree in nursing from Missouri State.
Dr. Michael Tenneson is chair of the Evangel natural and applied science department. He says Evangel has a longstanding history of sending 15 to 20 high-quality students each year to study nursing through CoxHealth programs.
He says "with the alliance, we expect to at least maintain those numbers, but also to see an increase. Probably we’re looking forward to the strong reputation of MSU recruiting more students into our program. So I think the numbers will go up.”
Tenneson says Evangel’s relationship with its students and unique mission will help their contribution to the alliance.
