Building Allied Health Talent Pipelines: Lessons from MedStar Health's Workforce Academy

Allied health workforce shortages—from surgical techs to respiratory therapists—carry real operational weight, yet they rarely get the attention they deserve. In this episode of Elevate Care, host Enderson Miranda speaks with Dr. Hussein Tahan, Chief Nursing Officer and System Vice President at MedStar Health, about how his team built an internal talent pipeline that has fundamentally changed how the organization approaches workforce strategy. Dr. Tahan traces the origin of the MedStar Academy from a single idea in the operating room to a multi-discipline program that has trained more than 400 associates, explaining how MedStar identifies priority roles, partners with community colleges to accelerate training, and provides wraparound support—childcare assistance, transportation help, and consistent check-ins—to keep learners on track. The conversation also explores how MedStar builds business cases with finance partners from day one, why wraparound support like childcare assistance and transportation help keeps learners on track, and how the calculus between contract labor, overtime, and internal training has shifted since the pandemic. For healthcare leaders working to make a similar case internally, this episode offers a clear, practical framework for pairing workforce investment with measurable outcomes. Key Takeaways • Allied health deserves equal attention to nursing in workforce strategy. Unlike nursing, allied health professions have historically not had access to contract labor as a bridge solution, making shortages in roles like surgical tech, sterile processing, and cardiovascular tech harder to absorb. • Internal talent development can outperform external recruitment. MedStar's academy started with 30 surgical tech trainees three years ago and has since expanded to sterile processing, cardiovascular tech, and CNA-to-patient care tech upskilling, training more than 400 associates in that pathway alone. • A strong business case requires precision, not estimates. MedStar builds ROI models directly with finance partners, using accurate wage comparisons instead of averages, to ensure committed cost reductions hold up during budget reviews. • Wraparound support drives program completion. Childcare assistance, transportation support, and frequent check-ins address the real-life barriers that keep working learners from finishing their training. • Contract labor strategy is not static. As wage dynamics shift, the calculation between agency labor, overtime, and internal staffing needs to be revisited regularly rather than treated as a one-time decision. • Retention starts with opportunity. Associates who move from entry-level roles into clinical career pathways show notable loyalty and engagement, translating workforce investment directly into retention outcomes. Chapters • 00:00 – Introduction to Allied Health Workforce Challenges • 01:47 – Dr. Tahan's Journey from Beirut to MedStar Health Leadership • 04:14 – Why Allied Health Needs More Attention Post-Pandemic • 06:38 – The Origin Story of the MedStar Academy • 08:16 – Expanding from Surgical Tech to Multiple Allied Health Roles • 11:08 – Building the Business Case with Finance Partners • 20:05 – Lessons Learned: Where to Start a Workforce Pipeline Program • 24:28 – Measuring ROI and Cost Savings Over Time • 28:12 – Partnering with Finance to Build Trust in the Numbers • 34:32 – Supporting Learners with Wraparound Services • 38:53 – Final Thoughts on Communication and Program Visibility Meet Dr. Hussein Tahan Dr. Hussein Tahan, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACHE, serves as Chief Nursing Officer and System Vice President for Nursing Professional Development, Workforce Management, and Academic Affairs at MedStar Health. His career began in Beirut, Lebanon, before he moved to the United States to work as an emergency room nurse, eventually building a leadership path through academic medical centers in New York and into system-level roles. At MedStar Health, a nine-billion-dollar health system serving Maryland, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia, Dr. Tahan oversees workforce strategy for more than 35,000 associates, including over 10,500 clinical nurses and approximately 4,000 care associates. Under his leadership, MedStar developed the MedStar Academy, an internal training pipeline that has produced hundreds of newly credentialed allied health professionals while reducing reliance on contract labor. We're proudly sponsored by AMN Healthcare, the leader in healthcare staffing and workforce solutions. Explore their services at https://www.amnhealthcare.com/podcast/elevate-care-podcast/utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Elevate Powered by AMN Healthcare