Emory & Henry College Approved as One of Six New Lab Schools

Dr. Lou Fincher, Senior Vice President and Dean for the School of Health Sciences at Emory & Henry College left Richmond with good news to carry back to Southwest Virginia about the future of the Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Lab School (SWVA-HEALS) moving forward. The original plans were unveiled in February 2023 at a press conference held at Emory & Henry with the community collaborators.  

Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Virginia Board of Education announced that E&H was one of six higher education institutions selected to move forward with their community lab school plans. Since the inception, plans continued to be worked on by the local partners to shape the future pipeline of high school students interested in healthcare professions to have the connections, education and resources to make their passion a reality at an affordable cost in Southwest Virginia. Today’s announcement brought affirmation to the program and continued funding. 

“Emory & Henry and our collaborative partners are thrilled to move forward in implementing the HEALS program. This unique career academy program will provide high school students with the strong science and healthcare-related curriculum pathways and work-based learning experiences needed to successfully pursue a career in healthcare. We truly believe the HEALS program will provide outstanding college and career preparation for students while also helping to reduce the healthcare workforce shortages in Southwest Virginia,” said Dr. Fincher.

Emory & Henry College proposed Lab School, the Southwest Virginia Healthcare Excellence Academy Lab School (SWVA-HEALS), is a collaborative partnership between Emory & Henry College; the school divisions of Smyth County, Wythe County, Washington County, and the City of Bristol; Virginia Highlands Community College; Wytheville Community College; the A. Linwood Holton Governor’s School; and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.  

The SWVA-HEALS program establishes a high school career academy for students in Grades 10-12 to serve as a pipeline for preparing future healthcare professionals to meet the workforce shortages in Southwest Virginia. The mission of SWVA-HEALS is to work collaboratively with regional education, healthcare, and community partners to provide a rigorous, high-quality learning environment that promotes increased awareness of potential healthcare careers and prepares college and career ready students to pursue the required college degrees and professional credentials that lead to healthcare careers and increase the number of future healthcare providers practicing in Southwest Virginia. 

According to Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera in the issued release by the Governor’s Office, “These schools are establishing innovative pathways for students to explore potential careers and be better prepared for the future, with a specific focus on addressing the needs and demands of their regions. These Lab Schools are not just shaping the future of our students, they’re also shaping the future of Virginia.”