Mercyhealth, 2023 Workforce Report

Making Lives Better Scholarships

Mercyhealth is not exempt from workforce challenges. The organization’s leadership focused on developing creative ways to attract and retain high-caliber talent to fill the ranks at Mercyhealth. The goal was to create a workplace where individuals are able to bring their best selves to work, receive the training and tools to be successful while looking at strategies to modernize our overall rewards structure. 

College scholarship program added to ensure the future of health care workers 

Looking to the future and ensuring that southern Wisconsin continues to train the finest health care workers, Mercyhealth collaborated with Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville to create the Mercyhealth Making Lives Better Scholarship. Announced in fall 2022, the first scholarship will be awarded this spring.  

The scholarship program is a two-year, full-ride scholarship (includes tuition, fees and books). Mercyhealth also committed to provide a paid internship at Mercyhealth in a position that aligns with the scholarship recipient’s program of study.  

The Blackhawk Technical College programs that will be considered for the scholarships include:  

  • Nursing 

  • Radiography 

  • Surgical technology 

  • Culinary arts 

  • Phlebotomy technician 

Mercyhealth collaborates to develop the skills of a unique potential workforce 

Mercyhealth continues its commitment to Project SEARCH, a unique, business led, one-year school-to –work transition program for disabled students that takes place entirely in the workplace. The selected students work in three internships over the course of the year in combination with classroom instruction, goal setting, career exploration and hands-on training through worksite rotations. Each student works with a team that includes their family, an instructor, a department mentor, rehabilitation counselor and employment specialists to create their employment goal and to support the student during their transition from school to work.  

Ideally, at the completion of the program, the students will become Mercyhealth employees.