When we look at what we do on this campus, Bridgewater is already doing a lot of excellent work. But it’s not enough to sit in our bubble, we have to have a better understanding of what health care looks like from the bottom up.
Last week, Bridgewater State University kicked off 2025 by hosting the institution’s first-ever Health Professions Summit.
The event not only highlighted the ways BSU already prepares its students for careers in health care, but also created a space to learn more about areas of growth within the industry beyond traditional clinical opportunities.
“When we look at what we do on this campus, Bridgewater is already doing a lot of excellent work,” said Dean of Education and Health Sciences Marci J. Swede, “But it’s not enough to sit in our bubble, we have to have a better understanding of what health care looks like from the bottom up.”
On Jan. 15, industry leaders from organizations that included Cape Cod Hospital, High Point, Southshore Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess/Plymouth, Signature Health Care, and the Greater New Bedford Community Health Care came to campus and met with BSU leaders, faculty and staff.
“Industry leaders helped us better understand what employers are looking for in new graduates. The conversations also encouraged us to look for opportunities to add curricula to help our students obtain jobs in the fastest growing segments of health care,” said Chris Frazer, assistant vice president of Student Life.
Those in attendance included Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler, Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health Marjorie Decker, and Steve Walsh president and CEO of the Massachusetts Hospital and Health Association.
The summit reflected the fact that health care is a massive industry in Massachusetts, rife with opportunities for students interested in its many fields.
“Whether you’re interested in writing health care-related grants or documentation for processes, providing financial support and assessment or contributing to the information technology infrastructure that helps make health care more accessible to everyone, there is likely a job in this industry for you,” Frazer said.
To help students discover these jobs, BSU looks to stay connected with these partners and collaborate with all disciplines on campus to create opportunities.
“It’s really about reframing and looking at the things we already offer at BSU and tweaking what is already in place,” Swede said. “BSU is not someone moving into health care, we are already there but we want to re-evaluate our profile and keep re-inventing that.
“It’s important that we engage in these conversations as it elevates our profile in a way that maybe people haven’t thought about us before, as a leader in health care in the academic sense.”
Swede has already begun working with the Wellness Center and the office of Career Services and Internships to create opportunities with university partners to benefit BSU students.
Senior Advisor for External Relations of the President’s Office Vinny DeMacedo applauded Swede’s efforts to bring government and industry leaders together with BSU community members.
“Healthcare is one of the largest employers in the Commonwealth and these discussions will help us, as an institution of higher learning, to better educate and prepare our students to fill these important jobs,” DeMacedo said.
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