Opening Pathways to Healthcare Careers

For students exploring careers in healthcare, opportunity isn’t just about interest or ambition—it’s about access.

Through a partnership between Novant Health’s Bridges to Healthcare Internship Program and the Center for Digital Equity (CDE), students are gaining the tools, exposure, and digital skills they need to take their next steps with confidence. Together, the partnership helps ensure that students aren’t limited by a lack of technology as they move from high school to college and into the healthcare workforce.

Exploring Possibility Through Real-World Experience

Ambia Higgins joined the Bridges to Healthcare Internship Program because she wanted to explore nursing—while still keeping her options open. The program gave her exactly that: hands-on experience inside the hospital, exposure to both clinical and non-clinical roles, and the chance to learn what a future in healthcare could truly look like.

Bridges to Healthcare was intentionally designed to broaden students’ perspectives. As Cynthia Ingram, Early Talent Specialist with Novant Health, explains, many students have a narrow view of available career paths. The program helps students learn and earn at the same time, while building awareness of opportunities they may not have otherwise considered.

After completing Phase One, Ambia continued into Phase Two—enrolling at Central Piedmont Community College, with her tuition covered through the program and a clear pathway to employment at Novant Health after graduation.

Why Digital Access Matters

As students transition into college and internships, access to technology becomes essential—not optional.

While many students have smartphones, reliable access to a personal laptop is far less common. School-issued devices often can’t be kept after graduation, leaving students without the tools they need to complete coursework, apply for internships, or manage everyday tasks.

Through this partnership, students receive laptops they can keep—removing a critical barrier at a pivotal moment. For Ambia, receiving a new laptop came at exactly the right time.

When her own computer broke, having a replacement allowed her to stay on track with schoolwork, research career pathways, complete internships, and build skills she’ll use as a future healthcare professional. She’s even been able to share that access with others—helping peers who needed a device for research or coursework.

Building Skills for What Comes Next

Beyond devices, the partnership with CDE helps prepare students for the realities of today’s digital world—where work readiness, online research, charting systems, and virtual communication are part of everyday life in healthcare.

Novant Health sees this collaboration as an investment in long-term success. As the Bridges to Healthcare program grows, there is a shared vision to expand opportunities and continue equipping students with both career exposure and digital confidence.