Dive Brief:
- Larkin Community Hospital plans to build a charter middle school for health sciences that will be part of its new medical campus under development in Miami-Dade County, FL.
- Backers claim the school will be the first of its kind in the US.
- The charter school will serve to prepare students for college health care and health science programs and provide mentorships in those fields.
Dive Insight:
"This interdisciplinary collaboration is the hallmark of the future of healthcare. This will be the only program of its kind in the US, allowing individuals very early in their education to develop the skills and more importantly, the inspiration to enter the health care field," said Jack J. Michel, president of Larkin Community Hospital.
Healthcare is one of the fastest growing employment markets in South Florida and demand is expected to increase as Baby Boomers become seniors. The American Association of Medical Colleges estimates there will be a shortage of physicians ranging from 46,000 up to 90,000 by 2025. This charter school may be the first to address the shortage at the middle school level.