WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Novant Health is deepening its investment in the training and career advancement of more than 41,000 team members through a new debt-free education program, Novant Health Future Forward. The pre-paid tuition benefits, which allow team members to complete an entire undergraduate or graduate degree with select academic partners at minimal cost, are among the most generous employee education benefits offered by healthcare systems across the Carolinas.
This significant and transformational initiative builds on a number of strategic and innovative investments in the internal mobility and overall well-being of Novant Health team members, who also earned more than $300 million in salary increases and bonuses this year.
“Novant Health Future Forward is a bold step toward helping our team members thrive in their careers, while also expanding the skills of our growing workforce as we continue to deliver the most advanced, high-quality care available,” said Seb Girard, senior vice president and chief people officer, Novant Health. “This is a truly transformative opportunity for team members to advance and build rewarding, life-long careers at Novant Health while improving the health of the communities we serve.”
Beginning Aug. 18, the Future Forward program will be available to active, full-time or part-time, benefits-eligible team members located at clinical sites of care in North Carolina. Novant Health will pay up to $5,250 a year directly to academic institutions on behalf of full-time workers enrolling in degree and non-degree courses offered through the program. Qualifying part-time team members are eligible for up to $2,625 a year in pre-paid tuition.
With these investments, Novant Health is offering the maximum tuition benefit employees can receive each year without having to pay additional income taxes. New hires will also be eligible to apply on their first day with Novant Health.
Additional highlights:
- Team members can earn a high-school diploma, an associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree, professional certifications, improve their English language proficiency, and more.
- Participating education partners include Arizona State University, University of Colorado Boulder, The City University of New York and the internationally renowned business school, INSEAD, among others. Most courses are virtual.
- Future Forward will expand to include additional benefits-eligible employees starting in late 2025.
Future Forward is offered through a collaboration with InStride, a strategic education and skilling partner to more than 50 employers and 1 million eligible learners, delivering programs that align learning with business strategy. The program is designed for working adults to develop new skills relevant to their career paths at Novant Health.
“Education is one of the most valuable tools an organization can offer to help employees grow their skills, advance their careers and improve their well-being,” said InStride CEO Craig Maloney. “In many areas of healthcare, the demand for highly skilled talent exceeds availability. We’re proud to partner with Novant Health and value the opportunity to support meaningful outcomes for their team members and the future of healthcare.”
Future Forward is among several innovative initiatives Novant Health has launched to attract and retain talent and build a pipeline of high-demand healthcare workers to meet industry needs, now and in the future. These efforts include expanding graduate medical education programs and announcing a new collaboration with Clasp, a program through which Novant Health pays off a significant portion of student loans for new nurse anesthetists.
Full- and part-time team members also are eligible for a traditional tuition-reimbursement program for degree programs outside of the choices available through Future Forward, as well as scholarships to earn a registered nursing license through the Upward Mobility RN Educational Assistance Fund.
These efforts and more have earned Novant Health accolades for its work culture and belonging, including a spot on Newsweek’s 2024 list of America’s Greatest Workplaces.
Learn more about careers at Novant Health.
About Novant Health
Novant Health is an integrated network of nearly 900 locations, including 19 hospitals, more than 750 physician clinics and urgent care centers, outpatient facilities, and imaging and pharmacy services. This network supports a seamless and personalized healthcare experience for communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Novant Health is nationally recognized for our unwavering commitment to safety and the highest quality care, and we serve as a catalyst for healthcare transformation through clinical trials, leading-edge research, innovative care delivery models and robust virtual care networks. The expertise and empathy of our more than 41,000 team members along with more than 8,600 independent and employed clinicians are at the heart of Our Cause as industry leaders caring for communities across the Carolinas. In 2024, Novant Health provided more than $1.6 billion in community benefit, including financial assistance and services.
For more information, visit NovantHealth.org. Follow Novant Health on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.
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