Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Columbus State work together to grow local healthcare workforce
$1 million in funding support will supply training equipment for healthcare students
Campus News | Friday, March 20, 2026
Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of central Ohio’s primary talent destinations for Columbus State Community College health care graduates, is supporting the college’s commitment to double its healthcare graduates with $1 million in funding support.
The funding will be used to purchase high-tech medical equipment allowing Columbus State students to prepare and train for their careers using the same systems as the region’s major health care employers.
“We’re grateful to Nationwide Children’s Hospital for their integral commitment to expanding the region’s health care workforce,” said Columbus State President David Harrison. “Nationwide Children’s support will ensure our students are prepared with current practices and advanced medical technology, leading to great jobs, successful careers, and quality healthcare for central Ohio.”
Nationwide Children’s has a deep and productive relationship with Columbus State. The hospital is both a major employer of the college’s new graduates and a leading champion of health sciences education programs for their existing employees. The hospital was a pioneer in partnering with the college to provide career-advancing education for its workforce ― an initiative that allows Nationwide Children’s to retain and promote staff from within in a highly competitive labor market.
“We are proud to deepen our relationship with Columbus State through this ambitious effort to grow the next generation of health care professionals,” said Tim Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of Nationwide Children’s. “Ensuring our region has a strong, highly trained workforce is essential to meeting the growing needs of children and families. By supporting access to advanced training and education, we are strengthening the pipeline of talented caregivers who will deliver exceptional care across central Ohio for years to come.”
Since 2021, Nationwide Children’s has fully funded employees to enroll in Columbus State’s respiratory therapy program. Now, the hospital fully supports employees who enroll in seven Columbus State programs that prepare graduates for in-demand, critical roles in the hospital setting.
Beyond respiratory therapy, these include nursing (both at the associate and bachelor’s degree completion level), medical laboratory technology, medical imaging, pharmacy technician and surgical technology.
Columbus State offers students a wide range of healthcare certificate and degree programs to help students obtain their first jobs or to advance in their careers.
“For many years, Columbus State has been an invaluable resource in helping us grow and develop our workforce,” said Lorina Wise, Chief Human Resources Officer for Nationwide Children’s. “From respiratory therapy and pharmacy technology to nursing and other critical clinical roles, their programs create meaningful career pathways for our staff. There has never been a more important time to invest in healthcare talent, and we deeply appreciate Columbus State’s commitment to high-quality, affordable education that prepares graduates to thrive in today’s healthcare environment.”
In September 2025, Columbus State broke ground on its newest academic building, OhioHealth Hall, that will enable the college to expand programs that will benefit all the region’s health care employers. Nationwide Children’s support will fund a large portion of new medical training equipment being purchased for the building.
The college will name two new labs in recognition of Nationwide Children’s: The RN Skills and the Respiratory Care & Support labs will both reflect the support from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
About Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 17,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.9 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
About Columbus State Community College
Serving more than 40,000 students annually, Columbus State is the largest community college in Ohio. The college has been nationally recognized for advancements in student success and workforce innovation, including the prestigious Leah Meyer Austin Award. The college serves its community at its two campus locations in downtown Columbus and Delaware County, as well as regional learning centers, offering diverse pathways to associate degrees, shorter-term industry-specific certificates, and transfer programs to four-year institutions. For more information, visit www.cscc.edu.
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