Baldwin Health and Columbia Southern University have entered a strategic academic partnership aimed at strengthening healthcare workforce development and expanding educational opportunities for professionals in the region.

The collaboration was established through a formal memorandum of understanding linking Baldwin Health’s clinical operations with Columbia Southern University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, a news release said. The agreement is designed to support workforce training initiatives while connecting employees to academic programs ranging from associate through doctoral degrees along with specialized certificates.

As part of the partnership, Baldwin Health employees and their families will receive a 10% tuition savings and will be eligible to apply for the Learning Partner Scholarship. Participants will also have access to flexible higher education pathways intended to support working healthcare professionals.

“We are so very fortunate in our community to have a local organization that not only touches lives in our community and across the nation, but worldwide. What a great, great, great opportunity this is to partner,” Karen Chastang, chief nursing officer, Baldwin Health, said in the release.

Columbia Southern University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences was founded by nurses for nurses, a guiding mission that continues to shape its academic programs and institutional partnerships.

“Kicking off this partnership during National Nurses Week is especially exciting. It gives us the chance to honor Baldwin Health’s nurses and to move forward together in preparing the next generation of caregivers,” said Bonny Kehm, Ph.D., RN, CNE, dean and assistant provost of CSU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The partnership aligns two accredited Alabama institutions with established records in healthcare and education. Baldwin Health holds a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and maintains certifications from The Joint Commission, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The organization also operates as a primary stroke center and includes an accredited Family Medicine Residency Program.

Columbia Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and offers flexible academic programs tailored to working professionals, particularly those in healthcare fields.

Officials from both institutions said the initiative reflects a shared commitment to workforce investment, continuous learning and improved patient care across Baldwin County.

National Nurses Week is May 6-12.