Crain's Chicago Business reports: Cook County to award $1M in health care scholarships to ease coming workforce shortage

Cook County will give $1 million in scholarships for future health care professionals in 2026 as part of its Provident Scholarship Fund, which has awarded close to $5 million to nearly 300 students since 2022.

With the Chicago area, and the nation, facing down a looming shortage of health care workers across all levels and specialties, the scholarships — and a recent $5 million award aimed at putting City Colleges of Chicago students to work at Cook County Health — are meant to help address the critical workforce need.

County Board President Toni Preckwinkle pointed out in a press release patients are facing long wait times and increasing barriers to care amid the provider shortage.

Scholarships are sponsored by Cook County, Cook County Health and the Health Foundation of Cook County. The application period opens today and closes April 19.

The scholarship fund is named in honor of Provident Hospital, the first African American-owned and operated hospital in the U.S.

A separate effort to bolster health professionals education, funded by a $5 million investment from the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, was announced earlier this month.

The City Colleges of Chicago program, HealthCatalyst Chicago, was the winner of the Chicago Talent Challenge by the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. It will train Chicagoans at Malcolm X College and in on-site training at Provident Hospital, with the goal of placing 1,000 into health care jobs over the next three years and an additional 400 positions annually in succeeding years.

Read the full story in Crain’s Chicago Business.