Healthcare apprenticeship program passes 1,300 graduates

Four years ago, an apprenticeship program allowed Kristen Blum to become an emergency medical technician.

The EMT then became a paramedic and is halfway through a premed degree, the next step in her plan to go to medical school and become an emergency room physician.

Blum credited the Industry-Driven Healthcare Apprenticeship Program, led by the Missouri Chamber Foundation Inc. and CoxHealth, for setting her on this path.

“It’s absolutely worth it. I’m a huge advocate for the apprenticeship program,” said Blum, 28.

“That’s where I started. I didn’t pay a single dime for school. I got a paid, full-time job – you’re guaranteed a full-time position – and I love it.”

Through the program, Missouri hospitals and healthcare facilities including CoxHealth have trained 1,361 apprentices including Blum for high-demand healthcare jobs.

Funding included a $4.3 million federal appropriation supported by retired U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Karen Buschmann, executive director of the Missouri Chamber Foundation, said the funds provided resources to create or expand apprenticeship programs.

“Missouri, its population is not growing as quickly as its demand for jobs. We can’t afford to squander a single worker by not providing the training that they need,” she said during a June 10 event at CoxHealth.

Funding is expected to run through the end of 2026. The goal is to reach 1,600 apprentices at that point.

“These are programs where you get a job, you get a paycheck and you learn the job and eventually you can teach somebody else the job you learn,” Blunt said. “What a great gift that is, to be able to do both those things.”

Buschmann said the foundation is exploring other funding sources for 2027 and beyond. She said the outcomes are worth the investment.

“Apprentices don’t have to choose between supporting their families or pursuing training to advance their careers,” she said.

She said while hospitals and healthcare facilities cover most of the program expenses, the funding provides mentorships and incentives.

Buschmann noted CoxHealth’s innovative apprenticeship program has served as a model. It was recently named Apprenticeship Employer of the Year by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Max Buetow, president and CEO of CoxHealth, said it started with the medical assistant program and now offers nine tracks, ranging from EMTs to certified nursing assistants.

He said support from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its foundation helped expand the program.

“They saw us catalyze something here locally and they said we can work together to spread this across our entire state, and we hope it becomes … precedent-setting across the country.”

Ozarks Technical Community College serves as an educational partner for the program and works closely with CoxHealth.

Matilda Ritzheimer, a former apprentice, said she wanted to go into the medical field but needed help. She completed the medical assistant training in 2021 and now works in an allergy clinic.

“It was one of the best things I’ve done with my life. It has changed it in the best possible ways,” she said. “I get to do what I love now.”

Ritzheimer said she now serves as a preceptor in the program, training others for careers in the healthcare sector.

“Thank you to everybody who made this program possible,” she said. “It made my dreams come true.”