Holyoke Health Center Hosts Groundbreaking Event to Announce Regional Health Professions Education and Training Center

Holyoke, MA, June 14, 2024—Last Friday, Holyoke Health Center hosted a pivotal event to unveil a transformative initiative. This initiative is aimed at addressing regional healthcare workforce shortages through the creation of the Regional Health Professions Education and Training Center in Western Massachusetts.

Dr. Alejandro Esparza Perez, CEO of Holyoke Health Center, introduced this visionary project to a crowd of 50 invited guests. The guests included local representatives from colleges, state legislators and their staff, health providers, and other interested parties. Dr. Esparza Perez emphasized the project’s potential to reshape the future of healthcare in the region. The initiative aligns with Governor Healey’s recently filed Mass Leads Act, an economic development bond bill that could significantly contribute to the implementation of the Holyoke Health Center’s plans.

“Our project is a critical component of the state’s agenda to support and enhance the healthcare workforce,” stated Dr. Esparza Perez. “With this center, we aim to build a robust pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals from within our community to meet the growing demand.”

The event highlighted the region’s urgent need for allied healthcare professionals, from nurses to medical assistants. Dr. Esparza Perez outlined Holyoke Health Center’s strategy to collaborate closely with local colleges. This collaboration will bring their existing training programs to downtown Holyoke and create new offerings in response to regional needs, fostering a locally sourced, well-trained workforce.

In addition to addressing healthcare workforce shortages, the project will revitalize the historic Steiger building, transforming it into an energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable facility. This renovation will provide students with a modern learning environment while contributing to the vibrancy of Holyoke’s continuously improving downtown.

“We are excited about the dual benefits of this project,” Dr. Esparza Perez added. “Not only will it enhance our healthcare workforce, but it will also breathe new life into a historic landmark, contributing to the economic and cultural revitalization of our city.”

Introductory remarks by Senator John Velis stressed the importance of a collaborative process among teaching entities and healthcare providers to achieve together what would be difficult for each entity to achieve alone. “The workforce challenges that we are confronting in the commonwealth of Massachusetts transcends sectors and industries and is particularly acute in the health care space. We need to build workforce pipelines and expose people to these fields while they are young. Addressing these challenges is something we can all get behind.” Senator John Velis added.

Holyoke State Representative Pat Duffy praised the efforts of the Holyoke Health Center, adding, “The Holyoke Health Center is one of our huge assets and resources.”

Holyoke Health Center has identified the financial resources needed to enroll students into the regional training program by January 2027. Local support will be important, as will federal funding and tax credits from both State and Federal programs. At this time, the Economic Development Bond Bill is a potential source of funding that the Holyoke Health Center hopes to secure with the support of area legislators.

Dr. Esparza Perez underscored the situation’s urgency, stating that it is crucial to start now to cultivate the workforce needed for tomorrow. He cited alarming projections from government studies, which indicate that primary health care, in particular, will be grappling with a shrinking workforce while the demand for services will be escalating. “This is a potential crisis, and as a physician and the CEO of the Holyoke Health Center, I am proud to see all of us unite to grow our own resources through innovation and collaboration at the local level,” he emphasized, invoking a sense of urgency and collective responsibility in the audience.