Holy Cross Health is a not-for-profit health system in Maryland that serves the community through its hospitals, primary care sites, specialty care and wellness programs. It is also serving its own employees with a relatively new program to help them advance their careers and boost their earnings.

In 2019, Holy Cross undertook a social needs screening process to identify key areas where their employees required assistance, particularly those working in departments with lower wages. In the process, two of the needs employees frequently identified were higher wages and greater food security. Consequently, in 2023, Holy Cross Health launched the Holy Cross Health Career Pathways Program to address its employees’ desire to progress in their careers and earn a higher wage.

The Holy Cross Career Pathway program currently includes pathways for Certified Medical Assistants, Certified Nursing Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians, Central Sterile Processing Technicians, Certified Healthcare Access Associates, and Phlebotomy Technicians. To be eligible, participants are required to be employed by Holy Cross Health for at least two years and have a GED or high school diploma only. Those employee-applicants who are selected enroll in certification courses tailored to their career goals.

The first launch of the pathway program in 2023 enrolled 16 employees in the certificate programs, of which 11 were able to finish and accepted full time positions with Holy Cross Health. The second launch, which started in June 2024, has 10 employees enrolled in the certificate programs.

In addition to the career pathways program, Holy Cross Health launched a monthly mobile market to help their employees secure healthy food, and started a SNAP enrollment training program to help the wider community access this important nutrition benefit.

By providing career advancement opportunities, this pathways program addresses income inequality while promoting retention and career growth within Holy Cross. It also contributes to a diverse and more robust healthcare workforce, which is an AARP priority. As part of its ongoing work in this area, AARP supported the creation of the Leaders in Equity and Diversity (LEAD) Collaborative, made up of 30 diverse organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region committed to work on at least one aim to address a health disparity at their organization or within their community. As a member of the LEAD Collaborative, Holy Cross targeted workforce development and the reduction of income inequality in its own workforce. Read the LEAD Fact Sheet.