ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Schools and health care systems are getting creative to help address the shortage of medical professionals in the U.S. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there's a need for nearly 2 million health care workers annually, so creating a pipeline is critical. Tim Jagielo of member station WNIN reports.
ISABELLA HUERTES: We're going to put this on there so we can stabilize it.
TIM JAGIELO, BYLINE: There are dozens of children here for the annual teddy bear clinic at Henderson High School in western Kentucky.
ISABELLA: And then I'll let you help me.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I'm going to wrap...
ISABELLA: Hold this still for me.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: ...OK?
JAGIELO: High school students are wrapping gauze around Popsicle sticks to stabilize a teddy bear's broken bone. Local kindergartners are bringing all kinds of stuffed animals to the clinic, run by the health sciences program.
ISABELLA: And then we ask them. If they have more than, like, two or three, we'll be like, OK, which spots hurt the worst? And they'll pick, and we'll either give them a shot or we'll fix it with a tourniquet or clean it off, something to help make it feel better.
JAGIELO: That's senior Isabella Huertes. The main point of this event is to assuage children's concerns over doctor visits, but the program overall is to introduce students to medical careers.
CYNTHIA NUNN: Your temperature is 71.5.
JAGIELO: Health sciences teacher Cynthia Nunn says there's growing demand for workers in the medical field.
NUNN: It's not just nurses. It's shortages everywhere. So the fact that we need health care workers is an understatement. It is certainly a higher-demand field than what I've ever known it to be.
JAGIELO: Health care occupations are projected to grow much faster than the average through 2032, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Deaconess Health System in Evansville, Indiana, could easily hire 300 nurses in 2024, but they won't be able to, says HR director Katie Burnett.
KATIE BURNETT: When it really comes to nursing or pharmacists or really any clinical position across the board, there's just not enough of them to go around, so we're trying to help build our own and build interest.
JAGIELO: In the push to attract students into medical professions, individual health systems are working directly with school districts to fill demand. For example, Ascension St. Vincent in Evansville has renewed a weeklong health careers camp and a pilot program hiring high schoolers as clinical trainees.
JESSICA MICKLO: If they need volunteer hours through their school, we have programs that they can do with all different areas that they can go to, to volunteer in the hospital.
JAGIELO: That's Jessica Micklo. She focuses on recruiting.
MICKLO: So a big need right now is a lot of the people in these current roles are retiring, and they are also - sometimes have chronic illnesses. So we need students and nurses and health professions to take care of the people that are retiring.
JAGIELO: Indiana's Academy of Science & Medicine helps students explore various careers. Evansville senior Kaylee Magro says it helped her decide to pursue a career in pediatric medicine.
KAYLEE MAGRO: I knew I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what. And with this opportunity to shadow medical professionals, with going into the hospitals, learning and actually seeing hands-on experiences, I think it has really helped me push towards the medical field.
(SOUNDBITE OF WATER RUNNING)
ISABELLA: Rub that soap together, and let's get our hands wet.
(SOUNDBITE OF WATER RUNNING)
ISABELLA: We're going to rub our hands together like this. Make sure to get in between your fingers.
JAGIELO: Back at the teddy bear clinic at Henderson High School, health sciences students are showing kids how to properly wash their hands. Teacher Cynthia Nunn says her students have several options after this program.
NUNN: They have the opportunity to go into nursing school. Some of them are already certified nurse aides. They have the opportunity to be certified medical administrative assistants. Some of them who maybe want to work behind the scenes - maybe they want to go and work on equipment in health care. So lots of different options.
JAGIELO: And hopefully fill that need for physicians, nurses and other health professionals.
For NPR News, I'm Tim Jagielo in Evansville, Indiana.
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