We are aligning a broad coalition of community organizations and individuals who are committed to engaging and supporting the nursing-pathway-students and their families. Members represent academia, business, government, healthcare and the community.

The first of its kind in Lake County, NEW Pathway is the product of innovative collaboration between traditionally siloed systems. We've brought together hospital systems, universities, secondary schools, business, government, and community organizations to advance our shared vision of building the nursing workforce in our region.

These partnerships broaden access to education at every stage of the NEW Pathway pipeline. Our relationships with seven local high schools in high hardship zones provide students with early mentorship and programming. Involvement continues during students' undergraduate education at a partner institution and their graduate studies at RFU. Once a student graduates, our clinical connections will assist with job placement in our community.

Partner Matrix

This diagram illustrates how partner collaboration enables NEW Pathway.

Engagement Coordinators

The Nursing Education to Workforce Advisory Council and the Rosalind Franklin University-Northwestern Memorial HealthCare-Lake Forest College Academic Practice Nursing Leadership Council lead community engagement and partnerships for NEW Pathway. We also formed a High School Partnership Council to focus on recruiting underrepresented students in STEM careers.