NASHUA, N.H. — Twenty-five local high school students spent the week exploring careers in healthcare during St. Joseph Hospital’s 2026 Health Careers Academy, a free, hands-on summer program designed to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Held July 13-17, the week-long academy immersed students in a variety of clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers through interactive experiences, department tours, demonstrations, and conversations with physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and hospital leaders. On Thursday, students participated in hands-on learning in the Nursing Simulation Lab at the St. Joseph School of Nursing, where they experienced realistic patient care scenarios in a state-of-the-art educational environment.

The Health Careers Academy is offered at no cost to participating students thanks to funding through New Hampshire’s Rural Health Transformation (RHT) initiative. The funding is provided through the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) RHT HUB, which supports youth engagement programs that introduce students from rural communities to careers in healthcare and allied health professions while helping strengthen New Hampshire’s future healthcare workforce.

This year’s academy generated record interest, with 70 students applying for just 25 available spots.

“Our Health Careers Academy gives students a firsthand look at the many rewarding career paths available in healthcare while helping them envision themselves as the caregivers and leaders of tomorrow,” said Kerry Ann Hayon, Vice President of Operations, Clinical & Support Services at St. Joseph Hospital. “We are grateful to the University System of New Hampshire and the Rural Health Transformation initiative for investing in programs like this that inspire young people and help build a stronger healthcare workforce for our communities.”

Throughout the week, students explored a wide range of hospital departments and healthcare professions, gaining valuable insight into the teamwork, innovation, and compassion required to care for patients. Experiences included emergency medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, rehabilitation, laboratory services, nursing, simulation-based learning, and other healthcare specialties.

The Health Careers Academy reflects St. Joseph Hospital’s ongoing commitment to workforce development and community education by encouraging local students to pursue careers in healthcare and providing early exposure to the educational pathways that make those careers possible.