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Home > News > New Book Spotlights Central Health’s Groundbreaking Nurse Training Partnership

New Book Spotlights Central Health’s Groundbreaking Nurse Training Partnership

July 9, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Health’s innovative partnership to expand its nursing workforce is gaining national recognition with the release of “Workforce Realigned, Volume II,” a new book produced by the Social Finance Institute in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Richmond.

The book includes a chapter co-authored by Jeannie Virden, Chief People Officer at Central Health, and Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University (WGU), highlighting Central Health’s leadership as the inaugural employer partner of the ReNEW Fund (Reinvesting in Nursing Education and Workforce).

The chapter, titled “The ReNEW Fund: Building and Sustaining a Talent Pipeline for Nurses,” details how Central Health is helping address the national nursing shortage through an innovative financing model that removes economic barriers for aspiring nurses.

Virden will join other authors, policymakers, and workforce leaders at an event in Washington, D.C. on July 17. They will discuss strategies that align education, financing, and employment to strengthen workforce systems nationwide.

Access the full chapter online here: The ReNEW Fund: Building and Sustaining a Talent Pipeline for Nurses – Workforce Realigned

About the ReNEW Fund

Established in 2024, the ReNEW Fund is a national financing model that addresses the U.S. health care talent crisis by unlocking access and economic opportunity for aspiring nurses who face financial barriers. The ReNEW Fund aims to offer zero-interest loans to thousands of students across the country through Western Governors University’s (WGU) Bachelor of Science in Nursing Prelicensure (BSN) degree program at the Michael O. Leavitt School of Health. The fund helps to cover the final two years of qualifying students’ tuition and fees, as well as providing the financial support they may need to attend in-person training at WGU’s Clinical Learning and Simulation Centers and clinical rotations. The ReNEW Fund is supported by philanthropic partners, including foundations and family offices.

About WGU

Western Governors University, the nation’s leading nonprofit online university, is transforming higher education to be more student-centric, affordable, accessible to all and relevant to the workforce. Established in 1997 by 19 visionary U.S. governors, WGU creates life-changing pathways to opportunity for those underserved by traditional institutions — working adults, historically underrepresented communities and a diverse, growing number of learners looking for a flexible, online model that better suits their life circumstances. WGU’s competency-based education model allows students to demonstrate mastery as they progress through programs at their own pace. Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, WGU operates in all 50 states and offers more than 80 programs in health, education, technology and business. WGU serves more than 190,000 students nationwide, with more than 370,000 alumni, and has awarded more than 420,000 degrees. Learn more at wgu.edu.

About Social Finance

Social Finance (SF Advisors, LLC) is a national nonprofit and registered investment advisor. We work with the public, private, and social sectors to create partnerships and investments that measurably improve lives. Since our founding in 2011, we have mobilized more than $400 million in new investments designed to help people and communities realize improved outcomes in workforce and economic mobility, health, and housing. Learn more at socialfinance.org.

About Central Health

Created by voters in 2004, Central Health is Travis County’s hospital district. Central Health provides care and coverage for about 1 in 8 Travis County residents — more than 170,000 people with low income. Guided by a strategic plan, which was developed with extensive community input and adopted in 2022, Central Health is investing more than $800 million to create a high-functioning, comprehensive, and equitable safety-net system in Travis County. This vision reflects the commitment of the Central Health system, which includes CommUnityCare Health Centers and Sendero Health Plans, a nonprofit insurance company, along with dozens of community partners, to the residents of Travis County.

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Notice: The Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. The tax rate will effectively be raised by 6.5 percent and will raise taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home by approximately $6.32 (six dollars and thirty-two cents).

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1111 East Cesar Chavez St.
Austin, TX 78702
512.978.8000

Copyright © 2025 Central Health. All rights reserved.

Notice: The Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health adopted a tax rate that will raise more taxes for maintenance and operations than last year’s tax rate. The tax rate will effectively be raised by 6.5 percent and will raise taxes for maintenance and operations on a $100,000 home by approximately $6.32 (six dollars and thirty-two cents).

Copyright © 2025 Central Health. All Rights Reserved.