MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – A new school focused on building the next generation of healthcare workers is under construction in West Alabama, aiming to address critical staffing shortages that have long plagued rural communities.

Construction is moving forward steadily on a state-of-the-art facility in Demopolis, where the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is scheduled to open its doors next year. The spark for the project came during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed major gaps in local healthcare systems—not just in a lack of equipment, but in the trained professionals needed to operate it.

Sean Parker, a board member for the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Foundation, recalled that while respiratory machines were available during the crisis, the state lacked the people to run them. This highlighted a severe shortage of healthcare workers in rural Alabama, a challenge state leaders decided to tackle head-on by placing the school in Demopolis. By focusing on students from rural areas, the school hopes to train a local workforce that will return to serve their hometowns, rather than moving away to major medical hubs like Birmingham or Mobile.

The specialized high school will allow students to begin their medical training early, establishing clear career pathways before they even graduate. Parker noted that ninth graders entering the program will have opportunities to earn nursing certificates and radiology tech credentials, allowing them to go straight to work at local hospitals in communities like Jasper or Demopolis.

While the permanent multi-million dollar campus in Demopolis remains under construction, the school’s inaugural class of 83 students won’t have to wait to start their education. Classes are set to begin this week on the campus of the University of West Alabama in Livingston, where the students will study until the Demopolis facility is ready to open with a full student body next year.

With similar medical staffing shortages happening nationwide, this unique school is drawing attention from across the country. Built from the ground up and wrapped around a local rural hospital, the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences is being watched closely by healthcare leaders nationwide as a potential model to solve rural healthcare crises in other states.

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The University of Alabama System on Wednesday highlighted planned expansions in nursing education across its three campuses as part of an effort to address an impending statewide nurse shortage.

According to UA estimates, Alabama will face a shortage of 14,000 nurses by next year.

To address the projected shortage, the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the UAB Health System and the University of Alabama in Huntsville are expanding enrollment to accelerate pathways into practice. The institutions are also increasing access to clinical learning opportunities and advancing research across the state.

According to the Alabama Board of Nursing, approximately 39,000 nurses across the state indicated plans to retire by 2027, creating what the UA System described as “an urgent need to expand the healthcare workforce.”

“One of the greatest advantages of the University of Alabama System is the ability to bring together distinct strengths in pursuit of a common goal,” UA System Chancellor Sid J. Trant said. “By leveraging the expertise and resources of our universities and health system, we can address challenges that matter to Alabamians, expand opportunity and help shape the future of healthcare across our state.”

University of Alabama at Birmingham

To help meet the state’s workforce needs, UAB launched a year-round Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The UA System said that by offering nursing curriculum year-round, including during the summer, the university is creating “additional pathways for students to graduate and enter practice on an accelerated timeline.”

The university welcomed its inaugural summer cohort this year, with 72 students taking summer classes.

Additionally, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding last year, the UAB School of Nursing collaborated with donors on a scholarship drive that will fund more than 80 scholarships valued at more than $3.7 million.

UAB currently enrolls 3,000 nursing and pre-nursing students and graduates 1,000 students annually, most of whom remain in Alabama after graduation. Since 2016, more than one in four Alabama nursing graduates have earned degrees from the UAB School of Nursing.

University of Alabama

In February, the University of Alabama unveiled plans to double enrollment in its Capstone College of Nursing, with a goal of graduating 550 nurses annually from the Tuscaloosa program.

Under the planned expansion, the Capstone College of Nursing will grow to a total enrollment of 3,436 by 2030, positioning UA’s nursing program to become one of the nation’s largest.

UA will add faculty positions, expand its simulation and clinical training facilities and increase clinical partnerships across the state to support the program’s growth. Physical expansions will include renovating 31,000 square feet of existing space and adding 51,000 square feet for classrooms, research facilities, advanced simulation labs, offices and student support services.

A $1.5 million investment in UA from the Bedford Falls Foundation-Donor Advised Fund in April will support approximately 60 additional scholarships annually for in-state UA nursing students.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

Beginning this fall, the UAH College of Nursing will launch a redesigned Bachelor of Science in Nursing curriculum intended to align classroom instruction with “real-world clinical application.”

“The four-semester program creates a more integrated learning experience, helping students build knowledge and apply it in practice while offering a more streamlined and affordable path to a nursing degree,” the UA System said. “UAH will also continue offering its accelerated three-semester [Bachelor of Science in Nursing] program for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree and are seeking an expedited route into the profession.”

Beyond the classroom, UAH is expanding clinical training for students and local access to care through its Neighborhood Nursing initiative. Launched in 2025, the program provides preventive care, health screenings, education and referrals to patients in rural communities in North Alabama.

Since its launch, the program has served more than 500 residents across five North Alabama communities and is expanding to additional communities.

“By combining expanded enrollment, accelerated degree pathways, scholarships, advanced clinical training and community partnerships, UA System institutions are strengthening every stage of Alabama’s nursing workforce pipeline and preparing more nurses to serve Alabama’s communities,” the UA System said.

The university system also highlighted July data from the Alabama Department of Workforce showing that registered nurses were Alabama’s most in-demand occupation, with RN positions accounting for the most online job openings in June.