As our population ages and health care services continue to grow in demand, partnerships across education and the health care continuum are becoming even more pivotal to improving access and supporting the future needs of our communities. Colleges and post-secondary educational institutions play an important role in reinforcing the health care workforce pipeline. However, when these institutions struggle, many other facets of our economy can become negatively disrupted, including the health care workforce.
Partnerships that lead to careers
Through our partnerships with various post-secondary education partners, nursing and Allied Health professionals have a direct pathway into local jobs in health care upon graduation. Locally in the Rogue Valley, this includes institutions like Rogue Community College (RCC) and Southern Oregon University (SOU).
As one of our many education programs, Asante serves as a clinical site for RCC’s nursing students. The nursing adjunct faculty program allows our nurses who are interested in teaching to work as nurse instructors while continuing their clinical practice. Instruction occurs on both our campuses and at the community college. Currently, approximately one dozen nursing adjunct faculty are training at Rogue Regional Medical Center and Three Rivers Medical Center. This successful program is expanding nursing cohorts and upon graduation, many of these students transition into roles at Asante.
At SOU, recent nursing graduates come to Asante through the OHSU Nursing School program located on the SOU campus. In FY25, more than 160 new graduate nurses from multiple programs began their careers at our facilities.
Facing the headwinds, support for shared goals
As both health care and educational institutions face economic headwinds, it’s never been more important to maintain strong partnerships within the communities we serve.
SOU is a pillar of both the Ashland community and the region as a whole. As it faces unprecedented financial challenges, we stand by ready to help and support through our continued shared goals of educating, training and employing the next generations of health care professionals. SOU epitomizes how a sustainable local four-year college benefits the entire region, including health care organizations.
RCC is helping shape the future of health care in the Rogue Valley by equipping students with the skills, training and hands‑on experience needed to meet the region’s growing workforce demands for decades to come. In December 2025, RCC announced that its Foundation invested $650,000 in college programs during “a time of significant financial uncertainty for higher education in Oregon,” underscoring its commitment to student success even in challenging conditions. Through innovative partnerships in nursing education, expanded clinical site rotations and continued collaboration with regional health care providers, RCC is building and sustaining the health care workforce southern Oregon depends on.
We look forward to many more years of continued academic partnership with both institutions, as well as our many other affiliations supporting essential higher learning. Together, we are creating a sustainable and strong future to protect the health of our citizens here in southern Oregon and throughout the region.
Our education affiliation agreements
The following is a non‑exhaustive list of institutions with which we partner or hold education affiliation agreements:
A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
American National University
Arkansas Colleges of Health Education School of Physical Therapy
Ashford University
Bellevue College
Bethel University
Boise State
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brown School at Washington University in St Louis
Bryan University
Bryant Rolstad Consultants, LLC
Bushnell University
Butte-Glenn Community College District
California State University – Sacramento
Campbellsville University
Capella University
CBD College
Chamberlain University College of Nursing
Charter College
College of the Siskiyous
Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence
Columbia University
Concorde Career College
Department of Veteran Affairs
Des Moines University
DeVry University, Inc.
D’Youville University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern New Mexico University
Eastern Washington University
Emory University
Everglades College
Frontier Nursing University
Gardner-Webb University
George Fox University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Gonzaga University School of Nursing
Grand Canyon University
Hanover College
Harding University
Hawai’i Pacific University School of Nursing
Health and Education Consultants
Huntington University
Idaho State University
Indiana State University
Institute of Technology – Salem
Joyce University
Keiser University
Klamath Community College
Lactation Education Resources
Lane Community College
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Linn-Benton Community College
Loma Linda University
Maryville University
MedCerts
Montana State University
National Medical Education & Training Center
National University
Nebraska Methodist College
Northwest Nazarene University
Northwestern Health Sciences University
OHSU
Olivet Nazarene University
Oregon Institute of Technology
Oregon State University
Pacific University
PERCOMOnline, Inc.
Pima Medical Institute
Portland Community College
Portland State University
Pulse Radiology
Rocky Mountain College
Rogue Community College
Rogue School of Phlebotomy
Saint Xavier University
Southern Oregon University
Spokane Community College
Spring Arbor University
Strategic Education, Inc.
Sumner College
Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
United States University
University of Arizona
University of Buffalo
University of Colorado
University of Kentucky
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska – Medical Center
University of New England
University of Oregon
University of Phoenix, Inc.
University of Portland
University of South Alabama
University of South Dakota
University of Southern California (USC)
University of St. Augustine
University of Utah
University of Vermont and State Agricultural College
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
Vanderbilt University School of Nursing
Walden University
Weber State University
Wenatchee Valley College
Western Governors University
Western Kentucky University
Western Oregon University
Western University of Health Sciences
