Fayetteville State University and Cape Fear Valley Health are collaborating to address the workforce shortage the area is suffering from by creating a new program called GROWTH. Growing Regionally Optimized Workforce Talent-Healthcare, or GROWTH intends to help CFVH address growing patient needs and bolster its workforce while creating opportunities for FSU students to gain valuable training and experience for their future career paths.

“Fayetteville State University is dedicated to creating exemplary learning opportunities for our students and to improving the wellbeing of our community, region, state and beyond,” said FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison in a press release. “Our partnership with CFVH will contribute substantially to that goal and invests significantly in our most valuable resource – our people. The Fayetteville area is a thriving, dynamic region of opportunity for education, families, professionals, businesses and commerce. As economic and public service drivers in the Sandhills region and southeastern North Carolina, GROWTH is more than a collaboration – it’s our mission.”

FSU currently partners with more than 100 regional and national employers to offer paid internship opportunities to students as part of the university’s focus on career readiness. GROWTH will reinforce this commitment to career readiness for FSU graduates. CFVH is one of many prestigious FSU intern employers. 

CFVH employs more than 7,400 people and completes over a million patient encounters per year. With nearly 7,000 highly diverse and talented students, FSU is well-positioned to assist Cape Fear Valley Health in recruiting valuable workers to their company.

“CFVH is committed to providing an unmatched level of care to our patients both in clinical and non-clinical services,” shared Cape Fear CEO Michael Nagowski in a press release. “GROWTH will play a major role in addressing a critical workforce shortage and help us recruit, hire, and retain skilled professionals right here in our own backyard. It’s a win-win for CFVH and FSU, and we are fortunate to have such a strong partner to help us better serve our citizens.”

The key goals of GROWTH are defined as:

• Increase training opportunities for students in FSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program via clinical rotations at Cape Fear Valley Health.
• Provide internships to boost the pipeline of well-qualified students available to meet non-clinical staffing needs with an aspirational goal of 100 or more by 2027.
• Provide CFVHS tuition assistance and other support to help system nurses and other employees build their skills via FSU programs, training and course work. 
• Offer FSU classes at CFVHS facilities to enable and expedite training for current CFVHS employees and expand FSU student understanding of the Cape Fear Valley Health.