Shaping the Future of Health Care

Abstract

This manuscript chronicles the 10-year evolution of the Kaiser Permanente Scholars Academy—an enterprise-wide investment in workforce development, academic progression, and human-centered leadership. Originally launched in 2015 as the Nurse Scholars Academy to support frontline nurses in advancing academic and clinical excellence, the initiative has since grown into 5 integrated academies: Nursing, Mental Health, Research and Innovation, Allied Health, and Caring Science. Each academy addresses pressing workforce needs while fostering lifelong learning, interdisciplinary capacity, and culturally responsive care. With equity and excellence as guiding principles, the Scholars Academy has forged strategic partnerships with academic institutions, community organizations, and internal stakeholders to align professional development with Kaiser Permanente’s mission and Magnet standards. Programmatic outcomes include increased graduate-level advancement, leadership preparation, research engagement, and expanded access to historically underrepresented groups. A timeline of key milestones illustrates how the academies collectively build a compassionate, competent, and future-ready workforce. This article explores how a decade of intentional investment in people and purpose has transformed care delivery, nurtured innovation, and redefined the role of education in achieving health equity. The Scholars Academy is not only a pipeline—it is a paradigm shift in how health care systems can lead with vision, courage, and care.

Luminary Reflection

Marilyn P. Chow, DNSc, RN, FAAN

When I reflect on the evolution of Kaiser Permanente’s nursing academies, I see a clear connection to our founding vision of total health. From the beginning, Kaiser Permanente attracted leaders who believed in advancing something larger than themselves. Sustaining that vision requires courage, advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to professionalism. What has impressed me most is that each generation of nurse leaders has chosen to build upon the work of those who came before them rather than replace it. That continuity has allowed Kaiser Permanente nurses to leverage the deep trust society places in our profession to advance leadership, research, and innovation for patients, communities, and the future of nursing.

INTRODUCTION

Kaiser Permanente (KP) began its journey toward nursing excellence in 2008 with the introduction of Jean Watson’s Caring Science during the inaugural Caring Science Kickoff in Antioch, California. This event laid the foundation for the integration of Caring Science and the implementation of Watson’s 10 Caritas Principles across all nursing practices. Annual consortiums and nursing forums followed, serving to reinforce the theory and encourage nurses to work under its guiding philosophy. Building on the momentum of the 2010 landmark report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, KP launched the Nurse Scholars Academy (NSA) in 2015. The goal was to ensure that nurses played a central role in health care reform. Guided by 7 strategic priorities, the NSA seeks to inspire transformational leadership, promote clinical excellence, foster evidence-informed practice and nursing research, and support academic progression. These initiatives aim to align the nursing workforce with KP’s vision while advancing professional practice and nurturing future leaders at all levels of the organization. The NSA’s commitment to cultivating a culture of nursing excellence, leadership, and lifelong learning has positioned KP for Magnet success. Three Northern California facilities currently hold Magnet designation—1 of which has achieved the highest level of distinction—while 9 additional facilities have secured Magnet applications. The NSA also aims to strengthen KP’s workforce by creating accessible, barrier-free pathways for academic advancement. Programs are specifically designed to support working RNs by offering opportunities for professional and leadership development across the organization. The NSA collaborates with academic institutions to ensure program alignment with nursing theory and organizational values. For example:

• Samuel Merritt University: Co-designed RN-BSN and RN-MSN programs that incorporate reflective practice and Caring Science.

• University of San Francisco (USF): MSN-CNL and DNP Executive Leadership programs that align with both Caring Science and KP’s mission.

• University of California, San Francisco (UCSF): PhD Research Fellows Program and DNP Program, as well as co-designed leadership development programs through UCSF’s Leadership Institute.

To ensure a strong pipeline of nurse executives, the NSA launched the Nurse Executive Fellow Program—a 1-year immersive experience that pairs Fellows with experienced Chief Nurse Executives (CNEs). Built on American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) guidelines, this program includes coaching, a development plan, and quarterly check-ins, with the goal of advancing participants into executive and regional leadership roles.

Additionally, the Caritas Leadership Program was developed to foster transformational, diverse nurse leaders who embody authentic caring in their daily practice—positively impacting patient care and interdisciplinary collaboration. Caring Science and HeartMath practices are embedded in daily interactions, reinforcing a culture of compassion and excellence.

Nurse Scholars at KP lead and contribute to the advancement of nursing science, care delivery, and health care policy, showcasing the impact and innovation of our nursing workforce (Figure 1).1

Figure 1.

RN scholars at a glance: 2015-2025.

Building on its demonstrated success, the NSA has served as a model for the development of additional academies under the broader KP Scholars Academy framework:

• Mental Health Scholars Academy (MHSA)—launched in 2020 to strengthen mental health workforce capacity and address the growing demand for behavioral health services.2

• Research and Innovation Academy (RIA)—launched in 2021 to foster nursing research, evidence-based practice, and translational science within clinical settings3

• Allied Health Scholars Academy (AHSA)—launched in 2022 to expand professional development opportunities for allied health professionals and advance interprofessional collaboration.4

• Caring Science Academy—launched in late 2023, drawing on Watson’s theory of human caring and Rogers’ science of unitary human beings, to promote intentionality, compassion, and presence in care delivery.5

Together, these academies represent a sustained organizational investment in professional growth and knowledge development. Collectively, they foster interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen workforce capacity, and advance the scholarly and clinical contributions of health professionals across KP, thereby aligning with broader calls for innovation in health care and nursing leadership.6

MENTAL HEALTH SCHOLARS ACADEMY

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, California faced projected workforce shortages in behavioral health professions, with a behavioral health workforce that was unevenly distributed geographically and lacked diversity relative to local communities.7 The California Future Health Workforce Commission noted future health care workforce shortages and published a series of recommendations to strengthen, expand, and diversify California’s health care workforce. Behavioral health was noted among the priority professions, including licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed professional clinical counselors, among others.8 In response to these projected statewide shortages in licensed mental health professionals, KP created the MHSA.

The MHSA is a $30 million initiative to build a pipeline for new mental health professionals across California. The program offers eligible KP employees the opportunity to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in mental health fields. It also provides continuing education for mental health professionals as well as grants to improve the mental health workforce in the communities we serve. The MHSA formally launched in 2020 under the Scholars Academy umbrella of programs to sit alongside the existing KP NSA. Building on the success of the NSA, the MHSA expands the NSA model statewide and expands the education model to include career change. While the NSA provides nurses with the opportunity to advance academically within the nursing profession, the MHSA allows eligible KP employees to earn a degree to change careers and become a mental health professional.

The MHSA collaborates with academic institutions both within California and nationwide. Our academic partners are dedicated to building the behavioral health workforce pipeline and incorporating an equity framework into their curriculum. We work with union education funds that serve diverse members in various roles, thereby increasing opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to contribute their experience to the behavioral health field. Furthermore, we engage with youth-focused programs such as Youth Career Day and mentoring to strengthen the mental health workforce pipeline.

At the community level, the MHSA has committed $5 million in grants to Northern California to enhance capacity in mental health professions. These grants prioritize graduating bilingual and diverse students who meet community needs. Our community grants involve partnerships with charitable organizations, not-for-profit clinics, and federally qualified health centers. Grants support establishing pre- and post-master’s behavioral health training programs serving diverse communities with linguistic needs (eg, Asian American and Pacific Islander [AAPI] and Latin). Grants also support paraprofessional roles in the behavioral health workforce, particularly for those with lived experience.

Over the past 5 years, the MHSA has placed hundreds of KP employees in mental health degree programs, enhancing diversity and representation in the behavioral health workforce. We currently have 198 active participants and 185 graduates. Since its inception, the MHSA has enrolled 76% people of color and 40% bilingual participants (Figure 2). Our scholars bring their unique backgrounds, health care experiences, and lived experiences to our mental health programs in California. We believe this diversity improves outcomes, reduces stigma, and enhances health equity for KP members and communities (Figure 3).

Figure 2.

Mental health scholars: linguistic diversity.

Figure 3.

Diversity as a legacy.

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACADEMY

The RIA, situated in the KP Scholars Academy, was instituted in 2021 with a vision to advance EBP, nurse-led research, and scholarly practice at KP Northern California in the pursuit of professional nursing excellence and scientific integrity, regardless of the academic preparation of the RN. To demystify research in KP, RIA works with clinical nurses and nurse leaders from identifying research questions to submitting the completed study protocol to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for review and approval. The academy does this through the diverse programs created to assist and empower nurses who ordinarily will shy away from conducting research studies. Some of these programs included group and individual consultations and a monthly regional RIA office hour that was open to all KP nursing staff. Through these consultations, KP NCAL recorded an increase in studies in 2025 that were submitted to the NCAL IRB (Figure 4).

Figure 4.

Studies generated in 2025.

Source: Internal Project Tracker as of July 9, 2025.

ALLIED HEALTH SCHOLARS ACADEMY

A cornerstone of the Scholars Academy’s community work is the creation of one of its newest academies, the AHSA. The AHSA is designed to attract and prepare career seekers for critical allied health roles, addressing the growing demand for skilled professionals in the health care sector while building interdisciplinary collaboration. A 2022 finding from AMN Healthcare indicated that 85% of health care facilities are facing shortages of allied health care professionals. The AHSA works to establish and promote clear learning and development pathways for the much-needed ancillary workforce, including surgical technologists, sterile processing technicians, respiratory therapists, patient care technicians, and other high-demand roles, including what the Health Resources and Services Administration deems long-term services and support (LTSS) roles. The LTSS workforce and direct care professional roles are expected to grow by 39% between 2022 and 2037, as fast as long-term care nurses. The AHSA recognizes this forecasted need. The AHSA aims to address critical shortages by providing opportunities for individuals to gain information, access resources, and engage in experiences that pave the way to career fulfillment. Entering the field of allied health can provide a meaningful, stable, and purposeful career in itself. However, it can also open infinite pathways into health care. We support ongoing growth, career opportunities, and continuing education that support the development of certified professionals.

One example is the launch of the 2025 KP Northern California Respiratory Care Practitioner Internship, developed in response to a shortage of respiratory professionals. This pilot program offers students real-world clinical exposure, mentorship, and training in one of health care’s most urgently needed roles, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic’s spotlight on respiratory care. This opportunity exemplifies the academy’s commitment to bridging education with employment. In partnership with the Exploring Careers in health care team, the AHSA delivers interactive webinars for middle and high school students, workers returning to the workforce, and workers changing careers. These webinars spotlight allied health careers as a viable and practical pathway that may be lesser known outside the health care ecosystem. These webinars provide direct access to health care professionals and allow students to engage in Q&A sessions to explore their interests. This collaboration helps shape early awareness of essential roles in health care. Embedded within the AHSA programs is its alignment with the philosophy of Caring Science, and partnership with KP Caring Science Academy. Using the framework dedicated to human caring lays the groundwork for all healing professions, offering opportunities for allied health care leaders and workers to engage in development opportunities that strengthen ideals like compassion, co-creation, caring moments, authenticity, and presence. This is done through our effort to provide resources that are sustainable, encouraging practices such as HeartMath to mitigate burnout and improve well-being for the workforce. The KP AHSA not only serves as a resource for the community but also strengthens the talent pipeline, supports regional economic mobility, is framed in a caring philosophy, and fosters long-term retention of allied health professionals.

CARING SCIENCE ACADEMY

The creation of the KP Caring Science Academy represents a transformative shift in how we honor the art and heart of nursing across our organization. What began as an introduction to Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring in a single medical center in 2005 has grown into a region-wide movement to humanize health care, cultivate healing environments, and restore joy and meaning to the practice of nursing.

Under the early sponsorship of our current Chairman and CEO, Greg Adams, and through the vision of leaders like Dr. Jim D’Alfonso, Caring Science took root in Northern California. It quickly evolved from a theory-based initiative into an enterprise-wide strategy aligned with our professional practice model. By partnering with the Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI), KP established itself as the largest Caring Science affiliate in the world. From our first Caritas Consortium to today’s sophisticated ecosystem of Caritas Coaches, Caritas Faculty, HeartMath Trainers, and Healing Circle Facilitators, the Caring Science Academy has redefined what it means to lead with compassion.

The Academy’s formalization was catalyzed through the South Sacramento Medical Center’s award-winning model and expanded through the strategic leadership of the KP Scholars Academy. Today, our regional Caring Science Academy stands as a beacon of human-centered innovation, advancing compassionate care through interprofessional education, leadership development, equity integration, and system-level culture change.

A hallmark of this evolution has been the establishment of the Caritas Coach Education Program (CCEP), a first-of-its-kind collaboration with WCSI that now trains over 100 nurse leaders annually to serve as cultural catalysts. These leaders are equipped not only with theory and tools but also with a deepened sense of self-awareness and purpose. Complemented by initiatives like Healing Circles, Equine Leadership, and HeartMath, our programs nurture both the science and soul of nursing.

Importantly, the Caring Science Academy is now deeply embedded within KP’s infrastructure—from nurse residency programs and new employee orientation to academic pathways with partner institutions like Samuel Merritt University and the USF. Caring Science is no longer a project or a philosophy; it is a lived experience, a moral compass, and a strategic imperative.

In a time when health care continues to face burnout, moral distress, and workforce fragmentation, the KP Caring Science Academy reminds us that sustainable transformation begins with how we care for ourselves, each other, and the people we serve. Our journey forward is anchored in a simple yet profound truth: we are the light in institutional darkness.

ROLE OF DATA AND DATABASES TO OPERATIONALIZE THE ACADEMY

A critical success factor in sustaining and scaling the KP Scholars Academy has been the integration of a dedicated business and analytics team. This team provides the strategic infrastructure to operationalize each academy by leveraging data-driven insights, ensuring financial stewardship, and enabling outcome measurement. Through robust data systems, the team tracks learner demographics, program progression, retention, and impact on workforce diversity—all of which are essential for continuous improvement and regulatory alignment. Financial tracking ensures transparency, supports cost-benefit analysis, and helps assess the return on investment of educational pathways. Importantly, this team also develops and presents compelling business cases to executive leadership, facilitating the expansion of programs to meet emerging workforce needs. By embedding analytics into every stage of the academy lifecycle—from concept to implementation, the Scholars Academy ensures that its growth is both mission-aligned and operationally sound. This partnership between business strategy and educational innovation is essential to building sustainable academies that advance both equity and excellence.

CONCLUSION

The evolution of the KP Scholars Academy over the past decade stands as a testament to what is possible when bold leadership, visionary sponsorship, and deep community and academic partnerships converge with purpose. It has taken courage to challenge the status quo, build new pathways, and invest in people at every level of the organization. Each academy—rooted in the principles of Caring Science—reflects a commitment not only to clinical and academic excellence but also to equity, belonging, and the human experience. This journey would not have been possible without the passionate dedication of our academic partners, community collaborators, nurse leaders, and executive champions who believed in the power of education to transform care. As we look ahead, the continued success of the Scholars Academy will depend on our ability to evolve with agility, remain grounded in compassion, and keep a close pulse on the communities we serve. In doing so, we affirm that the future of health care is shaped not only by innovation and data but also by the integrity, humanity, and collective vision of those who dare to lead differently.