Connect

The number of UVA Health University Medical Center team members attending the Healthcare Education Fair doubled this year, setting a record at nearly 200! More than a dozen, two and four-year colleges, universities — and programs that offer healthcare degrees and certificates — participated in the 2025 event Thursday, Oct. 23 at UVA Health University Medical Center Main Hospital Cafeteria.

Liz Sites is a patient care technician (PCT) in the Nerancy Neuro Intensive Care Unit (NNICU). She began volunteering at UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center in fall 2024, and joined the UVA Health Earn While You Learn (EWYL) PCT program in June 2025.

“I went to the 2025 Healthcare Education Fair to talk with reps from local colleges about pursuing nursing school and/or surgical technology,” she explains. “The fair was a great opportunity to learn about options for advancing my career and get a better idea on where to start in the application process. I also learned a lot more about the surgical technology programs near me and lined up some shadowing opportunities to see if that is the right path for me!”

Care, Teach, and Discover

UVA Health team members met admissions counselors and other representatives for the latest information on education paths to working in a wide range of careers: access associate, athletic training, certified medical assistant, CT tech, community health, emergency medical technician (EMT), executive leadership, healthcare administration, health informatics, IR tech, LPN, nursing (ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, CRNA), nutrition, pharmacy tech, physician assistant,medical science, patient care technician, phlebotomy/specimen management technician, physical therapy, public health sciences, radiology, rehabilitation sciences, respiratory therapy, sonography, surgical tech, social work, and sterile processing technician.

In attendance: 

• UVA Health EWYL
• UVA Health Interventional Radiology
• UVA School of Medicine Public Health Sciences
• UVA School of Nursing
• Blue Ridge Community College: Health Professions, Pharmacy Tech
• Central Virginia Community College: AAS RT
• Eastern Mennonite University: Biomedicine, Nursing
• George Mason University: Graduate programs in Global and Community Health, Health Administration and Policy, Health Informatics, Nursing, Nutrition, Social Work
• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College: Respiratory Therapy
• James Madison University: RN-BSN, MSN-DNP
• Liberty University: Nursing, BS RT
• Old Dominion University: Elmer School of Nursing
• Piedmont Virginia Community College: LPN, Sonography, Surgical Technology
• University of Lynchburg: Doctor of Executive Leadership (Healthcare and Emergency Management), Doctor of Medical Sciences for PAs, DPT, Master of Athletic Training, MHA, Master of PA Medicine, MPH)
• Virginia Commonwealth University: College of Health Professions

All schools and programs report they’d be happy to return and support our team members any time!

Representatives from UVA Career Navigation Center, UVA HR Benefits, and UVA Health University Medical Center’s Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) also shared information on mentorship, career coaching, application writing, nursing degree scholarships, and employee education benefits such as tuition reimbursement.

Eager to Learn

The event is sponsored by NPGO’s Professional Development Committee. “There are so many opportunities and career paths to take in healthcare," says Luella Glanzer, MSN, RN, Nursing Professional Governance Clinical Leader and Co-Magnet Program Director, UVA Health University Medical Center. "It’s exciting to seeing our team members explore the different programs and interact with the admission counselors — both for themselves and for their family members — while also having the chance to talk with HR Education Benefits and HR Career Navigation Services — all in one spot!”

“The high number of team members checking in at the beginning is significant and reveals to me an eagerness to find out more about learning opportunities and career progression,” says Chris Moubray MSN, AMB-BC, CNML, NPD-BC, Nursing Professional Development Specialist, Nursing Professional Development Services. “Providing a way for team members to speak with colleges and universities — without stepping out of the building — is one way we support career dreams to become reality!"

Light snacks were provided — along with a chance to win raffles! Congratulations to the winners of:

10-point rewards cards

• Alexis Miller, PCT, 5^th Floor Battle Building 
• Kathy Lipscomb, RN, Interventional Radiology
• Sarah Kerr, RN, Cath Lab

18 oz. travel mug:

• Grace Newman, Diagnostic Radiologic Tech, Radiology
• Thea Bierbaum, LPN, Cancer Center Clinic

And congratulations to NPGO, organizers, attendees, schools, and programs on another successful, record-setting Healthcare Education Fair — supporting UVA Health strategic plan initiatives such as best place to work, one UVA Health team, and distinction in education.