Health Care

Workforce Updates

June 2026

Western NY Rural Area Health Education Center offering two paid Summer  internships

Summer Programming Intern
This internship focuses on supporting the planning and day-to-day operations of summer health careers programming for high school students. Interns will help coordinate activities, assist with logistics, and foster an engaging, supportive environment for participants exploring healthcare careers. We are looking for someone who is organized, dependable, and enjoys working with students, with an interest in healthcare, education, or public health. This position is open to high school graduates through rising seniors in bachelor's-level programs.

Clinical Intern
This internship is centered on hands-on clinical instruction within our HCOP summer program. Interns will lead and assist with skills-based learning, guiding students through foundational healthcare techniques such as vitals, injections, suturing, and more. They are looking for a student with a strong clinical background who is confident in teaching others, takes initiative, and can translate healthcare knowledge into engaging, student-friendly instruction. This position is open to rising juniors or seniors in a bachelor's-level health program or a student in a master's-level health program, who possess clinical knowledge and skills. 

Both positions are paid, in-person opportunities located at our WNY R-AHEC facility in Warsaw, NY, and run from June-August 2026.

Apply now.

Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center LPN information workshop, June 11, 2026

The Finger Lakes Workforce Development Center is hosting a mandatory 1-hour informational workshop on June 11 for their 1,200-hour LPN program. Sign up on the FWD Center Health Care Courses page. 

Learn more and register.

Finger Lakes Community College healthcare careers information sessions, June 11 & 22, 2026

FLCC offers exploration sessions for careers including Enhanced Phlebotomy, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, and Certified Nursing Assistant. Sessions run on June 11 and June 22.

Learn about programs and funding.

University of Rochester offers opioid overdose prevention training, June 12, 2026

The opioid epidemic continues to exist, stressing the importance of early recognition of an individual experiencing an overdose. Having Narcan readily available and knowing how to use it can and will save lives. This presentation will review how the Good Samaritan Law and calling 911 for all overdoses impacts those administering Narcan and how reporting the use of Narcan provides important data to the State, which in turn can turn into increased funding to address this issue. UR Medicine Department of Geriatrics and Aging is offering a virtual Narcan training session scheduled for June 12.

Learn more and register.

The University of Rochester School of Nursing officially launches Anesthesia Doctoral program 

The School of Nursing’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice in the Nurse Anesthesia Program prepares critical care nurses to become Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, introducing a new pathway for registered nurses to pursue one of healthcare’s most in-demand subfields. Applications to join its inaugural cohort in Summer 2027 open on Monday, June 1, with an Aug. 31, 2026, deadline. 

Read more about the program.

Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center offers dental assistant “earn while you learn” training program

This one-year, paid training opportunity is designed to remove barriers to entry into healthcare by welcoming individuals with no prior dental or healthcare experience. Participants receive full-time pay, health insurance, and vacation benefits while gaining hands-on clinical experience paired with classroom instruction—without the burden of homework or tests. Starting at $17 per hour with benefits and advancing to a Dental Assistant role at nearly $20 per hour within six months, the program offers a clear pathway to economic mobility while preparing the next generation of oral health professionals across a range of fields, from general and specialty dentistry to research, laboratory technology, and healthcare operations.

Learn more.

CPT Program participants are entering the workforce. We’re expanding where they land.

Across New York State, CPT Program participants are completing their education and training programs and actively seeking employment—ready to step into one of 13 high-demand roles across health, behavioral health, and social care.

To meet this growing demand, FLPPS is actively recruiting qualified service commitment sites across our 18-county region, ensuring participants have the opportunity to connect with employers ready to hire. As a qualified service commitment site, you have a timely opportunity to connect with candidates as they enter or advance in the workforce and begin their three-year service commitment.

If you are a NYS Medicaid-enrolled provider or organization serving at least 30% Medicaid and/or uninsured patients, or you are contracted with a NYS Social Care Network, you may be eligible.

Visit our Partner website or connect with our CPT Partner Team via email to learn more.

Craft Workforce Insights Report

The New York Association for Training and Employment Professionals is working in partnership with Craft Education to bring you their Connect platform activity from January 2025 to March 2026. The Craft Workforce Insights Report includes:

• Overall engagement data on our platform.

• Real programs on the platform with real data and insights available now.

• New data captured and shared includes the location of learners by state, withdrawn learner counts, North American Industry Classification System code of its programs, and completion rate by program.

Read the report.

Black-white inequities in pregnancy-related mortality in the US

Racial inequities in pregnancy‑related mortality in the United States have persisted for more than a century, with Black birthing people experiencing rates nearly three times higher than their white counterparts.

In a Health Policy Brief published this week, Tiffany L. Green explores how we can address these disparities and what long-term strategies could be utilized

Read the brief.

Please share your health care workforce updates

If you have workforce updates to share, or any feedback or ideas for this newsletter, please contact Melissa Wendland at melissa.wendland@commongroundhealth.org.

Please share this newsletter with others in your organization who might benefit and encourage them to sign up to receive it. 
https://www.commongroundhealth.org/newsletter-sign-up