Josh Stein, alongside the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Secretary Dev Sangvai and leadership at Broughton Hospital, announced the first ever health care apprenticeship program within state government on July 16. “This partnership is one example of the efforts underway to boost the health care workforce in our state,” Sangvai said in the press release. Health care shortages in NCSimilar to trends across the country, North Carolina’s health care capacity is projected to decline over the next several years. In 2024, NCDHHS designated 97 of North Carolina’s 100 counties as having a health care professional shortage in the field of mental health. Health care facilities like ours offer many different career options, from direct care jobs like nursing to administrative support functions to maintenance.”