Pace University Secures $3 Million+ NY State Health Grant to Strengthen Regional Healthcare Workforce

Pace University has been awarded more than $3 million from the New York State Department of Health’s Healthcare Education and Life-skills Program (HELP) to establish the College of Health Professions Pathways to Practice Initiative (CPPI).

The five-year award, providing $614,395 annually from January 2026 through December 2030, will support a comprehensive effort to strengthen the healthcare workforce pipeline across the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley.

Led by Elizabeth Colón-Fitzgerald, EdD, associate dean of Student Success & Retention Strategies, the initiative was developed through a collaborative effort with faculty leaders Beau Anderson, Denise Tahara, Esma Paljevic, and Shannon Gribben. The project also benefited from the expertise of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) collaborators Dr. Margaret Barton-Burke and Dr. Annmarie Mazzella-Ebstein. Together, the team designed CPPI to expand access for underrepresented students, bolster advising for pre-health majors, and prepare advanced nursing and health sciences students to transition successfully into high-demand clinical roles.

“This grant is an extraordinary opportunity for Pace’s College of Health Professions to strengthen the healthcare workforce in Westchester,” said Brian Goldstein, dean of the College of Health Professions at Pace University. “Through the Pathways to Practice Initiative, we will expand access to healthcare education, support students as they prepare for advanced roles, and ensure that our graduates are ready to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities across the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley.”

The initiative features three interconnected programs:

• CHP Scholars Program (CHP-SP): Expands access to healthcare education by supporting Black and Latino students in nursing and health sciences through financial aid, mentorship, and academic coaching.
• Pre-Health Advising Program (PHAP): Strengthens the pipeline for critical healthcare roles by providing tailored advising, career exploration, and graduate school preparation for pre-health students University-wide.
• Student-to-Practice Program (SPP): Equips final-semester NP, PA, and RN students with the tools to manage stress, enhance wellness, and build resilience through workshops and simulations facilitated by MSK and Pace faculty.

“This award not only affirms Pace University’s leadership in healthcare education, but it also represents a collaborative effort to build a stronger, more resilient healthcare workforce,” said Elizabeth Colón-Fitzgerald, EdD, associate dean of Student Success & Retention Strategies and principal investigator for the grant. “Through the Pathways to Practice Initiative, we are expanding access, strengthening support for students, and preparing graduates to thrive in the most demanding clinical environments.”

“Building on the Academic-Clinical Partnership between Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University gives us traction to prepare nurses of the future with grants like HELP,” said Margaret Barton-Burke, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, and Lisa Mazzella Ebstein, Ph.D., RN, of Nursing Research at MSK. “We will contribute by implementing resilience and emotional intelligence training. Offering this training before workforce entry can foster emotional wellness, enhance coping strategies, and mitigate burnout. Thus, supporting the well-being and efficacy of nurses. We are excited to collaborate on this important initiative over the next five years.”

This award also expands Pace University’s partnership with MSK, a global leader in clinical care, research, and training. Together, Pace and MSK are creating a model for preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities across the Lower and Mid-Hudson Valley.