Sutter Health Investment Helps Sierra College Expand Healthcare Workforce
$2 Million Investment Will Strengthen Allied Health Degree and Certificate Programs to Help Address Critical Shortages of Nurses, Surgical Technicians and Other Healthcare Workers
Sierra College and Sutter Health today announced the health system’s investment of $2 million to expand Sierra’s award-winning Allied Health programs, increasing capacity to train the next generation of nurses, surgical technicians and other in-demand healthcare professionals across the region.
“Healthcare is vital to our regional economy and quality of life, and we are thrilled to continue our partnership with Sutter Health to meet this workforce challenge head-on with expanded access to rewarding, good-paying careers,” said Sierra College Superintendent/President Willy Duncan. “Sutter Health is not only investing in the future of healthcare in our region, it’s investing in the health of our community.”
Healthcare is California’s top job growth sector, with more than 60,000 nurses projected to be needed by 2033 to meet state demand. As of fall 2025, Sierra College enrolled 1,800 pre-nursing students.
“To maximize our impact as a not-for-profit health system, we focus on pressing community needs that emerge across every region we serve. Workforce development is one of those key areas, and investments like this help address California’s healthcare workforce shortage and support regional economic opportunity,” said Tammy Powers, CEO of Sutter Roseville Medical Center. “With this investment, Sierra College will continue to be an essential partner in expanding access to training and increasing the number of students pursuing healthcare careers to help meet the needs of our communities.”
To date, the Sutter Health investment has supported an initial phase of upgrades to Sierra College’s Nursing Village. Improvements include expanded lecture and lab space for the Nursing, Medical Assistant, and Surgical Tech programs, restored space for the Phlebotomy program, and a larger simulated Operating Room. By fall, Sierra College will expand capacity and student enrollments in its EMT, A-EMT and Paramedic programs.
Future phases will further expand capacity for Sierra College’s Allied Health programs and align with the Rocklin campus modernization currently underway. At full build-out, anticipated in spring 2028, Sierra’s Allied Health Training Center will serve as a modern hub for meeting evolving healthcare workforce needs in the region.
Sierra College launched its Surgical Tech program in 2025 to address a significant shortage of surgical techs in the region. The one-year program costs under $5,000, with graduates earning an estimated $90,000 annually. The gift will allow Sierra to create dedicated lab space for this new program.
“Our partnership with Sutter continues to play a vital role in supporting our nursing and allied health students,” said Nancy James, Dean for Allied Health at Sierra College. “Our programs are consistently enriched by the exceptional learning experiences provided through clinical rotations and externships across our clinical partners. We are deeply grateful for these grant funds, which have been instrumental in advancing our efforts to expand allied health education within our community.
According to Sierra College medical assisting student Heather Johnson, “Sutter Health’s investment in Sierra College’s Allied Health facilities is a direct investment in the future of healthcare in the greater Sacramento area. By upgrading and modernizing our clinical spaces, they have provided us with a vocational-ready environment to lay the professional foundation required for success in modern patient care.”
According to the Greater Sacramento Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research, healthcare is the second largest employment sector in the Sacramento region (182,000 jobs) and has the highest growth projection at 17%, more than twice the rate of overall job growth. There are 16 high-priority occupations in the health sector that pay above a single adult living wage – the most of any sector. These include registered nurses, medical assistants, health technologists, community health workers and others.
Sierra College’s Allied Health programs offer associate degrees, certificates of achievement or skills certificates in Registered Nursing, Surgical Technology, Behavioral Technician, Phlebotomy, EMT, Paramedic, Medical Assisting, and offer cross-enrollment with Sacramento State for a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
View or download photos from the Flickr album.
About Sierra College
Sierra College is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information at www.sierracollege.edu.