JWU teams with Scholars Network on healthcare job pipeline

By AI, Created 8:41 PM UTC, June 01, 2026, /AGP/ – Johnson & Wales University has partnered with Scholars Network to connect healthcare graduates with hospital employers and potential student loan repayment benefits. The move is aimed at easing workforce shortages while helping JWU students in nursing, physical therapy and physician assistant programs move more quickly into jobs.

Why it matters: - The partnership gives JWU healthcare graduates a faster route into jobs at affiliated hospitals. - Student loan repayment may help reduce one of the biggest barriers for new healthcare workers. - The deal targets fields facing persistent staffing shortages.

What happened: - Johnson & Wales University partnered with Scholars Network, a healthcare talent recruitment and loan repayment platform. - JWU graduates who accept a position through the network may qualify for student loan repayment. - The network connects graduates from JWU’s physical therapy, registered nursing and physician assistant programs with major hospital networks. - The announcement was made June 2, 2026, in Providence, Rhode Island.

The details: - Scholars Network focuses on matching qualified healthcare graduates with partner institutions. - The partnership is designed to help graduates enter the healthcare workforce and link them with employers that need clinicians. - Maura Daly Iversen, dean of the College of Health & Wellness, said the partnership is meant to break down barriers to entering healthcare and support careers that make a difference. - JWU’s College of Health & Wellness began offering professional health and wellness degree programs in 2013 with its Physician Assistant Studies Program. - The college now offers undergraduate degrees in Health Science, Dietetics and Applied Nutrition, Exercise and Sports Science, Public Health, Healthcare Administration and an accelerated B.S. in Nursing. - Graduate offerings include doctoral degrees in occupational therapy and physical therapy, a master’s in public health and an M.S. in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics. - The college offers programs in Providence, Charlotte and online through JWU Online. - The college currently enrolls 717 students. - The college holds accreditation from ARC-PA, ACEND, ACOTE and CCNE. - The college has candidacy status from CAPTE. - JWU says its Providence College of Health & Wellness spans six academic buildings, including the Center for Physician Assistant Studies, the Academic Center, Johnson Hall, Bowen Center for Innovation and Technology, the John Hazen White Center and the Friedman Center. - The college emphasizes experiential learning to strengthen clinical decision-making, analytical skills and interprofessional communication. - Specialty labs include the OT Action Lab, Functional Assessment Lab, Pediatrics Lab, Cadaver Lab, High-Fidelity Medical Simulation Labs, Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics Lab, Human Performance Lab and a Driving Simulator. - Providence also added advanced facilities for neuromuscular rehabilitation and musculoskeletal injury prevention before the Doctor of Physical Therapy program launched in June 2025. - JWU’s Charlotte campus uses high-fidelity simulation and clinical skills labs with advanced manikins and hospital-grade equipment. - Ninety percent of the college’s faculty hold advanced or clinical doctoral degrees. - Many faculty members also hold board certifications in their specialties.

Between the lines: - The partnership fits a broader push by universities and employers to tie training more directly to hiring. - Loan repayment incentives can make hospital jobs more competitive for new graduates. - JWU is using its health programs, simulation labs and clinical training footprint as part of its workforce pitch.

What’s next: - JWU graduates in eligible health programs can pursue jobs through the Scholars Network platform. - Partner hospitals can use the network to fill open roles with candidates already trained for clinical settings. - The arrangement could become a model for other health programs if it improves placement rates and retention.

The bottom line: - JWU is trying to turn healthcare education into a direct hiring pipeline, with loan repayment as the extra incentive that could help graduates choose shortage-area jobs.**