AccelerateMS-Funded Program Opens Doors to Healthcare Careers in the Mississippi Delta
CLEVELAND, Miss. – September 11, 2026 – For students in the Mississippi Delta, an eight-week program at Delta State University offered more than an introduction to healthcare. It provided an opportunity to explore careers, build practical skills, and take the next step toward a future in one of the region’s most critical industries.
Funded by AccelerateMS, the DSU Nursing Pathways Program was created to help unemployed and underemployed Delta residents, along with high-needs high school seniors, overcome barriers to education and enter the nursing and healthcare workforce pipeline.
The results are already taking shape.
More than half of the program’s 20 participants are continuing their education. Eleven have been accepted into Delta State’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this fall. Another is completing prerequisites to enter nursing, while one is pursuing a biology degree with a pre-med focus. Another is completing a master’s degree in sports management and human performance while exploring opportunities in healthcare.
For Karrie King, the experience helped turn an interest in healthcare into confidence about her future.
“When I applied, I knew I wanted to become a healthcare professional; however, I exited the program knowing that I would become one,” King said. “Instead of entering the semester with intimidation, fear and uncertainty, I entered with confidence, eagerness and certainty.”
For others, the pathway has already led directly to employment, with students securing positions as nurse assistants or patient care technicians and others interviewing with healthcare employers.
Holden Cooke credits the program with helping him secure a job as a patient care technician.
“It reinforced what I learned in school while also helping me gain new knowledge and confidence for future opportunities in the medical field,” Cooke said. “It was extremely beneficial to my job placement.”
The eight-week program combined academic preparation with hands-on training. Students learned foundational patient-care skills such as taking vital signs, assisting with positioning and mobility, using personal protective equipment and following infection-control procedures. Coursework also included anatomy and physiology, math, study skills, time management and career exploration.
Dr. Kyla Holcomb, program faculty, said the benefits have carried over for students who transitioned from the summer program into Delta State’s BSN program.
“We have already seen a positive impact on the group of students who were in the program this summer that transitioned to our BSN program,” Holcomb said. “Many students have stated that they have a head start on their education.”
Tours and clinical rotations at healthcare facilities across the Delta provided firsthand exposure to careers ranging from nursing and medicine to physical and occupational therapy, emergency medical services and other healthcare specialties.
Dr. Vicki Bingham, project director, said partnerships with local healthcare agencies allowed students to discover different roles while putting classroom and lab instruction into practice.
“The program created an opportunity to bridge academia and workforce in professional development and economic improvement for these individuals, while strengthening the healthcare system,” Bingham said.
That bridge is especially important in the Mississippi Delta, where developing local healthcare talent can help address workforce needs while creating new education and career opportunities for residents.
With students moving into nursing school and others already entering the healthcare workforce, the program’s impact is beginning to extend beyond the classroom — and into the communities it was designed to serve.
About AccelerateMS
AccelerateMS supports the people and businesses of Mississippi by creating and implementing workforce strategies that link individuals to transformative, high-paying careers. Through strong partnerships and effective grants management, the organization promotes sustained individual, community , and statewide economic growth.
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