Summary:
Healthcare workforce shortages won’t be solved in college; they start in high school.
In this episode, Dr. Bryan Sisk, Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive for Memorial Hermann Health System, discusses how the innovative HEAL High School is building a sustainable healthcare workforce by investing in students as early as ninth grade. He shares how a first-of-its-kind partnership creates a “working hospital” inside a high school, equipping students with industry-recognized certifications and real-world clinical exposure. He explains why mentorship, professional standards, and communication skills are just as critical as clinical training in preparing the next generation. He also highlights how hiring locally and removing barriers to entry can directly advance health equity and strengthen entire communities.
Tune in to hear how bold thinking, strong partnerships, and early investment in young people could reshape the future of healthcare.
About Dr. Bryan Sisk:
Bryan Sisk, DNP, RN, NE-BC, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for Memorial Hermann Health System. In this role, Sisk leads the strategic direction of the organization’s nursing workforce, comprising more than 14,000 registered nurses.
Dr. Sisk is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Army. He has served in various leadership roles – ranging from Chief Nurse Officer, nurse advocacy and leadership development, preventive medicine, and public health in military, government, for-profit, and not-for-profit health systems.
He is a strong advocate for the nursing profession, works tirelessly to reduce barriers to health care as a career, and is passionate about creating supportive environments that accelerate personal and professional growth. He championed the newly formed Memorial Hermann Institute for Nursing Excellence that leverages frontline multidisciplinary teams to reimagine how care is delivered to all patients, now and for generations to come. In addition, Dr. Sisk is a member of the team that created the first-of-its-kind Health Education and Learning (HEAL) High School, a partnership between Aldine Independent School District, Memorial Hermann, and Bloomberg Philanthropy designed to offer robust academic programming, work-based learning, and early employment into pathways that provide a lifetime of growth with continuing education opportunities.
Dr. Sisk routinely speaks on a wide range of topics and is an active mentor. He is a native Texan who loves sports, music, and outdoor activities, and lives in Houston with his wife of 35 years and their twin sons. His daughter is also a proud emergency department nurse in Central Texas.
What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
- Stable employment with a living wage and benefits is one of the most powerful drivers of health equity.
- Early engagement in ninth grade creates stronger, more accessible pathways into healthcare careers.
- Real-world clinical exposure helps students determine whether a healthcare career is the right fit before investing years in higher education.
- Professional behaviors such as communication, accountability, and punctuality are just as essential as clinical skills in healthcare.
- Generational gaps in the workplace are often the result of insufficient mentorship rather than a lack of capability.
- Healthcare systems can shape community stability through intentional hiring and workforce development practices.
- Maintaining high standards while providing strong mentorship and support leads to better long-term outcomes for students and organizations alike.
- Building direct connections between hospitals and local communities strengthens trust, workforce pipelines, and organizational culture.
Links & Resources:
- Connect with and follow Dr. Bryan Sisk on LinkedIn.
- Follow Memorial Hermann Health System on LinkedIn and visit their website!
- Learn more about HEAL High School here!
- Check out the 33 Scripts Guide to Address Disruptive Behaviour here!
- Buy Renee Thompson’s book Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility here!
- Grab a copy of Renee Thompson’s book Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too! here.
- Learn more about the Eradicating Bullying & Incivility eLearning Program here!
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