Sutter Health invests $2 million in healthcare workforce expansion at Sierra College

Sierra College and Sutter Health recently announced the health system's investment of $2 million to expand Sierra's award-winning Allied Health programs, which would increase capacity to train the next generation of nurses, surgical technicians and other high-demand healthcare professionals across the region. "Healthcare is vital to our regional economy and quality of life, and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Sutter Health to meet this workforce challenge head on with expanded access to rewarding good-paying careers," Sierra College Superintendent and President Willy Duncan said. "Sutter Health is not only investing in the future of healthcare in our region, it's investing in the health of our community." Healthcare is California's top job growth sector with more than 60,000 nurses projected to be needed by 2033 to meet the state demand, according to California Healthline. As of fall 2025, Sierra College enrolled 1,800 pre-nursing students, and while 2026 data is unavailable, it is estimated to be much higher than last year. "To maximize our impact as a not-for-profit health system, we focus on pressing community needs that emerge across every region we serve. Workforce development is one of those key areas, and investments like this help address California's healthcare workforce shortage and support regional economic opportunity," said Tammy Powers, CEO of Sutter Roseville Medical Center. "With this investment, Sierra College will continue to be an essential partner in expanding access to training and increasing the number of students pursuing healthcare careers to help meet the needs of our communities." To date, the Sutter Health investment has supported an initial phase of upgrades to Sierra's Nursing Village on the Rocklin campus. Improvements include expanded lecture and lab space for the Nursing, Medical Assistant and Surgical Tech programs alongside restored space for the Phlebotomy program, and a larger simulated Operating Room. By fall 2026, Sierra College is expanding capacity and student enrollment in its EMT, A-EMT and Paramedic programs. Future phases will further expand capacity for Sierra's Allied Health programs and align with the Rocklin campus modernization currently underway. Anticipated in spring 2028, a full buildout of Sierra's Allied Health Training Center will serve as a modern hub for meeting evolving healthcare workforce needs in the region. Sierra launched its Surgical Tech program in 2025 to address a significant shortage in the region. "Our partnership with Sutter continues to play a vital role in supporting our nursing and allied health students," said Nancy James, Dean for Allied Health at Sierra College. "Our programs are consistently enriched by the exceptional learning experiences provided through clinical rotations and externships across our clinical partners. We are grateful for these grant funds, which have been instrumental in advancing our efforts to expand allied health education within our community." "Sutter Health's investment in Sierra College's Allied Health facilities is a direct investment in the future of healthcare in the greater Sacramento area," Sierra College medical assisting student Heather Johnson said. "By upgrading and modernizing our clinical spaces, they have provided us with a vocational-ready environment to lay the professional foundation required for success in modern patient care." The Greater Sacramento Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research reports healthcare is the second-largest employment sector in the Sacramento region, providing about 182,000 jobs while having the highest growth protection at 17 percent, more than twice the rate of overall job growth. Sierra's Allied Health programs offer associates degrees, certificates of achievement and skills certificates in Registered Nursing, Surgical Technology, Behavioral Technician, Phlebotomy, EMT, Paramedic and Medical Assisting, and offer cross-enrollment with Sacramento State for a Bachelor's degree in Nursing. For more information regarding Sierra College's nursing programs, visit www.sierracollege.edu.