Mass General Brigham and Bunker Hill Community College Join Forces on a Grant Initiative Sponsored by the City of Boston

Mass General Brigham is partnering with Bunker Hill Community College on a $1.2 million grant from the City of Boston's Worker Empowerment - Life Sciences Workforce Development Initiative. The focus of the grant is to empower and support individuals in Boston’s neighborhoods to enter and advance in Medical Laboratory careers, including Phlebotomy, Medical Laboratory Assistant and Medical Laboratory Technician (programs offered by Bunker Hill Community College) and Medical Laboratory Scientist, BS degree+ (offered through The Mass General Brigham Medical Laboratory Science Program). Mass General Brigham and Bunker Hill will work closely with Project Hope to recruit and support program participants.

The primary objective of this program — part of an ongoing collaboration with Bunker Hill Community College — is to offer exceptional educational and career opportunities in the laboratory field at multiple levels from certificate, through AS and BS+ degree attainment. The program creates a robust pipeline of highly skilled professionals to fulfill the increasing demand for laboratory staff across the Mass General Brigham system. To aid in this important work, Mass General Brigham is also working with its degree-granting member, the MGH Institute of Health Professions, on undergraduate and graduate degree options in medical laboratory sciences to help address the health system’s workforce needs.

MJ Ryan, Vice President of Workforce Development & Economic Opportunity, Mass General Brigham, explains that an aging population and increased prevalence of chronic diseases has led to greater dependence on diagnostic laboratory testing. This has led to a surge of demand for trained medical laboratory scientists in the healthcare industry.

“By deepening the qualified pool of medical laboratory scientists on staff, hospitals across our system can ensure that they have the resources necessary to perform critical tests accurately and efficiently for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases,” said Ryan. “This program not only provides valuable, hands-on training for local students, it also aims to improve patient care by increasing our skilled, diverse, culturally competent workforce.”

The grant funding will play a pivotal role in building Mass General Brigham’s Medical Laboratory workforce by providing scholarships and stipends to support candidates at various levels of training. Eligible individuals from Boston’s neighborhoods will receive financial assistance as they progress through their academic programs. All candidates will receive support and guidance to assist with job placement upon successful program completion.

This funding and our continued collaboration with our multiple academic and community-based partners represents a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to cultivate a diverse and dynamic talent pipeline. It will enable us to unlock an array of career opportunities in medical laboratory science for the residents of Boston — making a noteworthy impact on our local communities by fostering inclusivity and professional development in the life sciences field

For more information, please contact Nicolas Troisi, MLS Program Manager & Clinical Coordinator, at ntroisi@mgb.org.

Please note, support from this grant is limited to residents of Boston, MA.