NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sutter Health and Rivet School are teaming up to provide non-clinical employees with a flexible and affordable online opportunity to earn an accredited associate or bachelor’s degree —and open doors to new career pathways within Sutter’s growing not-for-profit healthcare network.

As the healthcare industry continues to face critical workforce challenges, Northern California based Sutter Health is not only investing in its clinical workforce, but also investing in its non-clinical employees, ensuring they have the education necessary to grow within the organization without putting their careers on hold. By teaming up with Rivet School in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Sutter is making it easier for more employees to advance their careers by earning accredited associate or bachelor’s degrees in Business Management, Healthcare Management or Communications.

“This collaboration with Rivet School is another example of our commitment to helping our workforce build meaningful careers at Sutter,” said Sutter Health Chief Human Resources Officer Deborah Yount. “We want every Sutter team member to feel supported, seen and inspired —not just in the work they do today, but in where they’re headed tomorrow. Through personalized growth opportunities, career development, and a culture rooted in purpose, we’re helping people shape careers that matter —to themselves, to our organization, and to the communities we serve.”

This initiative is part of a broader push to address critical workforce shortages in healthcare by leveraging the potential of existing employees. By equipping non-clinical staff with the credentials and skills needed to step into new roles, Sutter and Rivet are pioneering a smarter, more sustainable approach to workforce development.

Through its partnership with SNHU, Rivet School provides access to an accredited, self-paced, and career-aligned degree program that enables students to complete their degrees faster, more affordably than traditional college programs, and entirely online, all supplemented with one-to-one personalized coaching and support. This groundbreaking model has helped hundreds of students graduate with their Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in record time and often at a fraction of the cost of a typical degree.

Highlights of the new program include:

• College fits around employees’ schedules: Project-based online learning enables students to work at their own pace.
• Personalized support from a Rivet School coach who helps students set goals, monitor progress and stay on track.
• Employees earn degrees through Rivet School’s university partner, Southern New Hampshire University.

"At Sutter Health, we know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t," said Carole Bennett, vice president of Talent Management and Development at Sutter Health. "That’s why our collaboration with Rivet School is so important. We’re providing non-clinical employees with a flexible, low-cost way to earn their degrees while they continue working. Strategic partnerships like this one can play a critical role in helping us fulfill our mission and vision to be the best place to work. By investing in our employees' education and career growth, we’re not just shaping their futures, we’re strengthening our workforce and the quality of care we provide to our communities.”

The response to the recently launched program has proved robust. More than 400 Sutter employees have expressed interest in pursuing their degree through the program, signaling strong demand for flexible, affordable educational pathways.

Tuition Assistance

Sutter Health already offers up to $2,500 in tuition reimbursement to employees annually as part of its ongoing investment in its workforce to support them in building their careers. This tuition reimbursement program may be used to help pay for Rivet School’s online degree programs, which cost $7,000 a year.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Sutter Health to help their employees take charge of their futures,” said Rivet School Chief Growth Officer Nora Maxwell. “This isn’t just about degrees —it’s about unlocking potential, creating upward mobility, and transforming lives. When healthcare organizations invest in their people, everyone benefits.”

About Sutter Health

Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to community partnerships and innovative, high-quality patient care, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. Currently serving nearly 3.5 million patients, thanks to our dedicated team of more than 57,000 employees and clinicians, and 12,000+ affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients. 
Sutter delivers exceptional and affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Dedicated to transforming healthcare, at Sutter Health, getting better never stops.

Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org. 

Monique Binkley Smith
Sutter Health
800-428-7377
binklemt@sutterhealth.org