Summer Healthcare Career Summit Expands to Meet Demand

The New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership (HCP) is seeing unprecedented interest in its Interdisciplinary Health Professions Summer Summit (iHPSS), a unique day camp designed to introduce high school students to careers in healthcare through hands-on experiences across two leading educational institutions.

Launched in summer 2025 as a pilot program, iHPSS welcomed 18 students for an immersive two-week experience spanning the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and Cape Fear Community College (CFCC). The program offers participants a comprehensive introduction to a range of health professions, along with opportunities to engage with faculty, tour facilities and experience campus life firsthand.

Just one year later, demand for the program has surged. Thanks in large part to more targeted recruitment efforts led by HCP’s Community Connector, more than 120 students applied for the 2026 summit — nearly seven times the number of available spots from the previous year.

To meet this overwhelming interest and ensure more students can participate, program organizers have reimagined the summit’s structure. Rather than a single two-week session, iHPSS will now operate in a series of condensed three-day sessions. This new model allows for greater accessibility while still delivering a dynamic and meaningful introduction to healthcare careers.

“Expanding the program was a necessary and exciting step,” said Leneice Rice, program manager for the Coastal Community Healthcare Fellows Program, who is coordinating this experience. “We want as many students as possible to explore these career pathways and envision themselves in the future healthcare workforce.”

Despite the shift to a shorter format, students will continue to experience the hallmark elements that made the pilot successful. Each three-day camp is intentionally structured so participants will visit both CFCC and UNCW campuses, giving participants a dual perspective on educational pathways in the health sciences. Students will also receive American Red Cross CPR certification and complete the Clifton Strengths Assessment to identify individual strengths and talents for career alignment — key competencies in healthcare settings.

The accelerated sessions are intentionally designed to provide a broad yet impactful overview of healthcare professions, from clinical roles to emerging interdisciplinary fields. Students will engage with hands-on demonstrations, learn from industry professionals and begin to map out potential educational and career pathways.

The expansion of iHPSS represents not only a response to demand but also a strategic investment in the future of the region’s healthcare workforce. With strong community support and growing student interest, iHPSS is poised to become a cornerstone initiative in preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. IHPSS began welcoming students on Monday, June 15.

About the New Hanover County Healthcare Partnership

The HCP is a multi-year effort supported by a transformative $22.3 million investment from The Endowment and brings together University of North Carolina Wilmington, Cape Fear Community College, New Hanover County Schools and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The HCP is helping to solve urgent healthcare workforce shortages in the Cape Fear region by expanding healthcare training programs, improving worker retention, and building a stronger pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals in New Hanover County.