Accelerated career paths for high schoolers
Ballad Health Academy
Ballad Health Academy is a high school medical training program powered by our education partners that will provide high school students with job experience and dual enrollment courses dedicated to accelerating pathways into healthcare careers.
The program offers an innovative school-within-a-school approach that addresses the unique, rural nature of the Appalachian Highlands, providing access to accelerated education and training in a healthcare career, all while allowing students to attend their public high school and stay in school with their friends.
Graduates of the program are guaranteed job interviews with Ballad Health once they’ve graduated from high school.
Pre-Practical Nursing Program
powered by TCAT
Launching Fall 2025
- Hands-on learning
- Job-placement opportunities with Ballad Health
- High-demand careers
- Dual-enrollment opportunities
- Simulation learning
- Clinical education with Ballad Health
- Finish program with Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification
$48k
Median annual LPN salary in TN
7
Launching in 7 TN high schools
$21-$23
$21-$23 Starting pay
per hour for LPNs
Learn more about the Pre-Practical Nursing Program powered by TCAT
The program will be the first Ballad Health Academy program launching in participating high schools in fall 2025. Application for enrollment is now open through April 25, 2025.
What it means to be a nurse
Every nurse can tell you about three pivotal times in their nursing life:
- The moment they knew they wanted to be a nurse.
- A struggle that made them doubt they could do it.
- A challenge or a patient they met that assured them beyond a shadow of a doubt that being a nurse is their calling.
In these videos created by nurses during Nurse Narrative Initiative workshops, you’ll meet Amber, Tyler and Josie. Listen to their personal stories, and the reasons why they know that being a nurse is what they were meant to do.
Amber, RN
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse
Niswonger Children’s Hospital
Amber loved working as a medical technician, but a voice in the back of her head told her to think about nursing. Now, she says working with the strongest little patients in the world in the Niswonger Children’s Hospital NICU is “a part of who I am.” She will never forget the story of a very special baby that assures her that she is right where she needs to be.
Josie, RN
Labor and Delivery nurse, Family Birth Center
Franklin Woods Community Hospital
A personal tragedy from her childhood inspired Josie to become a labor and delivery nurse. The experience gifted her with an empathy and an ability to encourage that helps her guide new moms through the challenges they face during their baby’s delivery, no matter the outcome.
Tyler, RN
Emergency Department nurse
Holston Valley Medical Center
Tyler was sure his experiences as a varsity athlete and working a dangerous construction job would prepare him for the mental toughness he needed as an emergency department nurse …. until the day he was assigned his first critically ill patient and he froze. Since then, he carries a small gift from a patient’s sister that reminds him of his shift from fear to a confident nurse who saves lives every day.
Pre-Practical Nursing Program Benefits
This innovative program, powered by TCAT, aims to equip high school students with the essential skills and knowledge required to become a certified nursing assistant, while offering an accelerated pathway for students to become a licensed practical nurse, preparing them for a rewarding and impactful career in healthcare.
Job placement and beyond
While in high school, students will participate in classroom instruction, lab and simulated experiences that are crucial for developing the practical skills and confidence necessary to thrive in the nursing profession and clinical experiences. The program provides opportunities for students to earn pathway credentials such as CPR/AED, OSHA-10 Healthcare and Certified Nursing Assistant prior to graduation. Credits earned are transferable to a TCAT nursing program to pursue further education in nursing.
Comprehensive curriculum and personalized guidance
School counselors, along with Ballad Health Academy pathway advisors, will work with students throughout their high school career to schedule and sequence their dual enrollment courses. This guidance ensures students stay on track with their advanced career pathway into a healthcare career. Qualified and experienced TCAT instructors will lead the program through comprehensive curriculum that encompasses a range of subjects, such as basic nursing principles, fundamentals of nursing and administration of medications, providing students with a well-rounded education that adheres to industry standards.
Removed barriers to access
There is no cost for program participation for the student. Additionally, counselors provide resources including transportation and supplies, as well as removing common barriers for students wanting to pursue a career in healthcare.
Ballad Health Academy is part of a first-of-its-kind $250 million effort led by Bloomberg Philanthropies that is connecting healthcare and education systems to create new career-technical education high schools in 10 urban and rural communities across the country.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ initial $15.3 million investment in Ballad Health Academy will support school start-up costs, including personnel needs, classroom renovations, lab supplies and other work-based learning requirements.
Nursing dual enrollment credits and medical training for high school students
Through the Ballad Health Academy, students with aptitudes for science and service professions will be identified at the middle and early-high school level, and they can enroll in the pathway starting in ninth grade. This medical program for high school students will incorporate in-person, virtual and in-hospital education by integrating healthcare career knowledge and job training with a high-quality, well-rounded high school experience for students throughout the Appalachian Highlands.
Ballad Health is partnering with several community colleges, TCATs/colleges of applied technology, career technical education (CTE) centers and six local school districts to launch this regional early-start medical career program for teenagers.
