New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership

Groundbreaking Collaborative Effort to Revolutionize Healthcare Workforce in New Hanover County

This partnership unites UNC Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College and New Hanover County Schools to creatively attract, recruit, train, and retain individuals dedicated to living and working in our region while also leveraging the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce’s unique ability to engage and connect stakeholders from across our community.

About the Project

In December 2023, the New Hanover Community Endowment awarded the College of Health and Human Services at UNC Wilmington more than $10 million as part of a $22.3 million grant to support its New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership (NHHCP). The NHHCP addresses critical workforce challenges in New Hanover County by focusing on the recruitment, training, and retention of healthcare professionals committed to serving our communities.

Announcements

May 23, 2024 - Brooke Nigro has been named the project director for the New Hanover Community Healthcare Transformation Project beginning May 29.

Nigro will manage the implementation of this transformational project including budget management, development and implementation of identified initiatives, coordination with strategic partners, oversight of assessment and associated personnel, and progress report writing. She has held project manager positions with various organizations including the N.Y. State Department of Health, Help Me Grow WNY, and most recently, Strong Starts Chautauqua/ Healthy Community Alliance in Chautauqua County, N.Y. Nigro holds a master’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from Niagara University and is a 1994 UNC Wilmington graduate, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication.

Outcomes and Broader Impacts

The collaborative effort focuses on key areas of investment:

Support for Success: Providing wrap-around services, recruitment, and enrollment resources, alongside retention structures to foster student achievement.
Enhanced Infrastructure: Improving facilities, implementing holistic admissions processes, and reinforcing recruitment resources to strengthen educational foundations.
Pathway Programs: Developing and expanding pathway and pipeline initiatives that guide aspiring healthcare professionals.
Innovative Learning: Collaborating on simulated learning, healthcare professional cohort programs, and standardized exam study assistance across institutions.

Initiatives

Try Teal
The Try Teal initiative is a unique opportunity for Cape Fear Community College students in the Associate Degree Nursing program to take two courses in UNC Wilmington’s RN to BSN program at no cost — a savings of more than $1,200. Upon the successful completion of these two courses, students can be conditionally admitted to UNCW’s RN to BSN program, an online accelerated program, specifically geared to working adults.

Admissions Criteria:
- Meet UNC system high school minimum course requirements. Applicants who are 21 years of age or older or who have completed 24 hours of transferable undergraduate credits are exempt from this requirement.
- Currently enrolled in an Associate Degree in Nursing program at Cape Fear Community College.
- Completed at least 50 credit hours of ADN coursework.
- Completed ENG 111 with a C or higher.
- Cumulative 2.4 college GPA.
- Be eligible to return to the last institution attended.

Building a Healthcare Workforce Superhighway

Healthcare is a vital component of any thriving community, and that's why UNCW, Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce created a groundbreaking healthcare transformation superhighway. With a focus on support and retention programs, the collaboration aims to produce and retain highly skilled healthcare professionals who will bolster the local workforce.

Read more here.

Project Partners

Groundbreaking Collaborative Effort to Revolutionize Healthcare Workforce in New Hanover County

About the NHCE

The New Hanover Community Endowment (NHCE) was established from the sale of the County-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health in 2020. From its sale, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners invested nearly $1.3 billion to form the endowment to benefit the community.

NHCE was created with the focus of significantly improving our community by focusing on:

Education: Public primary, secondary, and post-secondary
Equity: Social & Health Equity
Community safety
Community development

Learn more about NHC Endowment