Iowa Hospital Association to Host Second Annual Health Sciences Career Day
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA), in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Education and hospitals across the state, is pleased to host the second annual Health Sciences Career Day. This virtual event, geared toward Iowa middle- and high school students, is intended to introduce the future workforce to some of the most in-demand health care careers across the state.
“Workforce and staffing shortages remain one of the top concerns we hear from hospital leaders in Iowa,” said Chris Mitchell, IHA President & CEO. “In partnership with the Iowa Department of Education and hospitals across the state, Health Sciences Career Day introduces students to many diverse and rewarding career opportunities in health care. We hope this event inspires interest in health care careers and helps guide Iowa students as they make future educational decisions. There is significant demand and a bright future for those entering the health care field, and our goal is to showcase those opportunities as students begin planning their careers.”
Hosted during National Hospital Week, the event will showcase engaging videos and live panel discussions that will help students gain insight into various educational opportunities and career paths. Students will have the opportunity to engage with local health care professionals and ask questions about the components of each job — from patient care responsibilities to education and training requirements.
Students from Interstate 35 and Van Meter High Schools weighed in on their experience at last year’s Health Sciences Career Day, why they want to pursue a career in health care and shared advice for students still considering career options.
McKenzie Phillips, Interstate 35 Senior
My favorite part from last year's event was being able to see first-hand what a hospital setting is like and also getting to learn about the careers I'm interested in. I'm interested in a career in health care because I want to work one-on-one with patients. I truly enjoy helping people. I like the idea of being there for someone when they might be nervous or going through a tough time. I also want to be part of the happy moments, celebrating good news and new beginnings. I hope to be a friendly, trustworthy face in a clinic or hospital setting, and to be someone patients feel comfortable talking to and confident in. Being able to care for others and make them feel supported during both the hard and joyful times is really important to me.
Kayla Jones, Interstate 35 Senior
Watching my mom work in health care sparked my interest and made me realize this is the path I want to follow. Seeing people struggle with everyday activities inspires me to work hard to support them, provide compassionate care and make a positive difference in their daily lives. Be sure to attend exploration days to learn about all the different opportunities in health care. There are so many paths, some are patient-facing, while others work behind the scenes. Don’t limit yourself to just one career; explore everything and see what truly excites you!
Ava Baumhover, Van Meter Senior
My initial interest in health care began when I watched Grey's Anatomy and became captivated by the medical cases and environment. I then realized this interest was deeper when I took anatomy and loved every second of it. Health Sciences Career Day is perfect for people like me, interested in health care, but with no idea what or where to start. Health Sciences Career Day opens the door and introduces all the many different career options there are in the health care world. To students interested in health care, I recommend job shadows and field experience. There is no better way to learn if you like something or not than going and trying it. I was experimenting with my interest in nursing and decided to take a CNA class. I got a much better idea about the nursing world and even got experience in clinicals. Ultimately, I realized that nursing wasn't the right fit for me, but I never would have learned that if I hadn't tried. Learning more about careers that you're interested in is vital in narrowing down what path to start on.
Event program areas for 2026 include:
- Pharmacy – Great River Health, West Burlington
- Nursing – MercyOne
- Radiology – Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital, Council Bluffs
- Physical Therapy – Cass Health, Atlantic
• Emergency Medical Services – Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids
- Surgical Services – UnityPoint Health
Last year more than 1,000 middle- and high school students from 60 Iowa schools participated in this educational event.
Learn more by visiting the IHA website at: ihaonline.org/event/health-sciences-career-day/
Educators can register their class or a group of students through the following link: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__WT1vbVcS4eeNCPhBNXlVw
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