Connecting the Health Leaders of Tomorrow
We support current and future health leaders by providing career-launching experiences, professional growth, and strategic partnerships that strengthen the health workforce.
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Shaping the Future of Health, One Leader at a Time
We support emerging health professionals at every stage of their journey—helping them explore, prepare for, and advance in meaningful health careers that align with their strengths and passions. Through real-world experience, mentorship, and professional development, we equip them to lead with purpose and impact.
At the same time, we collaborate with hospitals, schools, and health organizations across the country to strengthen workforce pipelines, develop local and regional strategies, and cultivate the next generation of health leaders. Together, we’re building a more connected, capable, and community-rooted health workforce.
HCC is the connection between undergraduate students and recent graduates and...
The experiences, resources, and mentoring they need to discover and make well-informed health career choices
Health organizations and employers seeking talented, diverse interns, staff and future health leaders and professionals
Graduate programs in medicine, public health, nursing, law, business with qualified, diverse, experienced candidates
Communities in need of health professionals
Local, regional, and national health career pathway initiatives
Alumni and current interns to available jobs in our partner network
Connecting Talent to Local Organizations
We are a national leader in advancing health workforce solutions by supporting emerging professionals through career-launching experiences, mentorship, and strategic partnerships that build a skilled and community-rooted health workforce.
Mission and Goals
Health Career Connection (HCC) is a national force for health workforce development that builds generations of health leaders and professionals who are from and reflect the communities we serve and have the capabilities and commitment to improve health for all.
We achieve this by connecting talented future health professionals and leaders to real-world experience in all health sectors, exposure, mentoring, and networking.
Our Priority Goals
- Student Empowerment and Success – More students discover and realize their full potential through a health career that is authentically aligned with their background, talents, goals, and the difference they want to make.
- Organizations & Graduate Programs Access Value-Driven Talent – Connect qualified, value-driven candidates to health employers and graduate school opportunities.
- Health Workforce Leadership – Increase the number of value-driven health leaders and professionals capable of solving complex health challenges. Inspire them to give back to their communities and to others in the health career pipeline.
Who We Serve
HCC provides opportunity and support to people of all backgrounds and has priority emphasis on first-generation college students, and people from low-income backgrounds. They also have valuable life experience, community-focused and knowledge and linguistic skills that help organizations better serve all populations. We seek candidates from all backgrounds who want to improve the health of cross-cultural communities.
Discover What We Do
Our Approach
HCC addresses the lack of exposure and high barriers college students—especially those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds—face in entering public health and healthcare careers. Our program connects students with paid internships, mentorship, and training that foster confidence, community, and a clear path into graduate health professions. By supporting both professional and psychosocial development, we help students launch meaningful, authentic careers as future change-makers in health.
Exposure
to career possibilities, role models, and how health organizations operate.
Paid Experience
to learn by doing, apply knowledge, hone their professional skills, and build self-confidence.
Mentoring
to provide direction regarding career plans and support interpersonal development.
Professional Development
to increase knowledge and skills on key topics and professional competencies.
Networking
to connect with peers, the HCC team, HCC partners, HCC alumni, and local and national professional networks.
History
Health Career Connection was founded in 1990 by Jeff Oxendine, Julie Brown, Donna Young and Francis Garcia, a group of healthcare and business executives who were inspired by their own experience participating in a similar internship program and later committed themselves to empowering young people to pursue health careers.
Over the past 35 years, HCC has grown to a national organization operating in regions across the country. In all regions, college students are provided opportunities to gain invaluable exposure, experience, and mentoring and to make a difference in their organizations and the local communities. Most, like the HCC Founders long ago, have life-changing experiences that launch their careers and empower them to become successful health leaders and professionals.
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Health
Together, let's build a strong health workforce and improve
community health nationwide.
