Frequently Asked Questions

CareerCare is a centralized resource to help plan your career path at Wellstar and take advantage of the expanded education benefits available through our Guild partnership. Whether expanding your skills, earning a degree or starting a new career journey, CareerCare has something for everyone.

• Fully funded tuition for priority, in-demand healthcare roles, including prerequisites for these programs.
• Additional support for required books, program fees, technology and more.
• Fully funded tuition for foundational learning, including high school completion, college preparatory programs, nursing start, digital literacy and English language.
• Dedicated support from the CareerCare team.
• Job placement assistance.
• Essential skills including resume review and interview prep.
• Tuition reimbursement benefit available for degreed programs outside of our fully funded tuition programs.

• Foundational Learning: Digital Literacy, English, HS Diploma, College Start, Nursing Start
• Hospital Administration: Front Office Specialist
• Imaging: Radiology Technologist, CT Technologist, Mammo Technologist, MRI Technologist, Nuclear Medicine Technologist
• Lab: Phlebotomy Tech, Medical Laboratory Tech, Medical Lab Scientist
• Nursing: LPN, RN (AND & BSN), LPN to RN, RN to BSN
• Nursing Support: Certified Nursing Assistant and Certified Medical Assistant
• Respiratory: Respiratory Therapist
• Surgery: Sterile Processing Technician, Surgical Technologist

These pathways were identified as high priority based on being positions that are critical to our operations and ensuring we deliver on our promise of PeopleCare. We will continue to evaluate options offered based on participation, feedback and the evolving needs of the workforce.

• CareerCare is available to all team members working full-time, part-time or PRN upon hire
• Team members are required to have a performance rating of 3 or above on the most recent performance evaluation.
• Team Members must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better

Both offer team members the opportunity to pursue education for their career growth and development:

• Go to https://wellstarcareercare.com
• Select Connect with a Career Navigator and fill out the interest form.
• For a quick reference guide on the process click here.

The length of study varies by program, typically ranging from 13 weeks for a certificate to 4+ years for a bachelor’s degree. A Career Navigator or Guild can provide an estimate of program length during your initial conversation.

Yes and the schools chosen for Wellstar fully funded tuition programs meet Wellstar’s qualifications for employment.

Qualifying team members can only be in one pathway at a time. The only course that can be taken along with another program is English Language.

Yes, prerequisite requirements for the funded pathways are paid for by Wellstar.

We offer a variety of schools, including local academic partners. To learn more about the schools available by program, go to https://wellstarcareercare.com and select “Choose a Pathway”. Click on “download the pathway guide” to see the school options.

We offer a variety of schools, including local academic partners. To learn more about the schools available by program, go to https://wellstarcareercare.com and select “Choose a Pathway”.  Click on “download the pathway guide” to see the school options.

Programs are offered in a mix of modalities – online, hybrid, and in person. Your Career Navigator or Guild will have additional information about the program modalities.

Through our fully-funded tuition programs, tuition, books, application and other required program fees are covered.

CareerCare provides a variety of funding options to support you on your journey. Advanced degrees are not covered under our fully-funded tuition programs at this point. However, tuition reimbursement is available for advanced degrees.

Speak with your school’s academic advisor to understand the class options for the program you are in. If a class conflicts with your work schedule, discuss with your leader to see if there is any flexibility with your schedule. There is no systemwide requirement to accommodate school schedules and doing so may be more feasible in some departments than others. Leaders will do their best to support you in your journey. If your leader cannot accommodate your schedule request, see when the class will be offered again that is more suitable to your schedule.

Wellstar made this investment in your career journey with the hope that you continue to grow in the pathway you chose. Your career navigator is available to help you prepare for finding a new role within Wellstar upon the successful completion of the pathway program. This guidance includes resume critique and interview preparation.

If you do not complete or pass the class, the team member may be obligated to reimburse Wellstar for a portion of the tuition already paid by Wellstar.

Team members may be obligated to repay Wellstar for a portion of the tuition Wellstar has funded. Speak with a Career Navigator to better understand your work commitment obligation and repayment requirements.

If a team member withdraws from a program, they may be obligated to repay Wellstar for a portion of the tuition Wellstar has funded. Speak with a Career Navigator to better understand your work commitment obligation and repayment requirements.

If the coursework you’ve taken can be transferred to the program you want to switch to, yes. If not, there is a one-year waiting period from when you stop a program to beginning a new program within CareerCare.  There is no waiting period if the program you want to switch is not a CareerCare pathway.

No, foundational learning programs do not require team members to sign a work commitment.

If the pathway has a required certification, the team member is expected to become certified after they complete their academic program. Once certification is received, the team member is then considered for available positions within Wellstar.  If certification is not required upon academic completion, the team member can pursue available positions within the pathway for which they meet the minimum qualifications per the job description.

• Phlebotomy Tech, Medical Laboratory Tech and Medical Lab Scientist
• Respiratory Therapist
• Front Office Specialist
• Radiology Technologist, MRI Technologist and CT Technologist
• Surgical Technologist and Sterile Processing Technician
• Nursing: LPN, RN (ADN/BSN), RN to BSN
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Certified Medical Assistant (CMA)

These pathways were identified as high priority based on being hard to fill, high turnover and critical to our operations and ensuring we deliver on our promise of PeopleCare. We will continue to evaluate options offered based on participation, feedback and the evolving needs of the workforce.

No. Qualifying team members can only be in one pathway at a time. The only course that can be taken along with another program is English Language.

We offer a variety of schools, including local academic partners. To learn more about the schools available by program, click on the pathway of interest and review the career pathway guide.

Please contact the program coordinator at your school of interest to find out which of your credits will transfer to the new program.

Many CareerCare programs require clinical training. Team members do not need to secure their own clinical placement. If a team member is enrolled with a local school, the school will assist with your clinical placement. If a team member is enrolled in a Guild online program, Wellstar’s CareerCare team will determine the appropriate clinical placement in collaboration with department operational leaders.

CareerCare was designed with working adults in mind. Yet, everyone’s needs are different. You are not alone. Speak with your leader, your school’s academic advisor or someone on the CareerCare team to help you.

Please note, fully funded tuition programs are available to full-time, part-time and PRN roles, which may be an option for you depending on your role. While schedule accommodations are not a guarantee, leaders will do their best to support you in your journey. There is no systemwide commitment to accommodate school schedules, and doing so may be more feasible in some departments than others.

Connect with a Learner Success Coach to determine what resources are available for your use. To book an appointment, click here.

Connect with a Learner Success Coach to learn more about tutoring options offered by Wellstar. To book an appointment, click here.

CareerCare provides a variety of funding options to support you on your journey. Advanced degrees are not covered under our fully funded tuition programs at this point. However, tuition reimbursement is available for advanced degrees.

The schools chosen for Wellstar fully funded tuition programs meet Wellstar qualifications for employment.

Yes, prerequisite requirements for the fully funded tuition pathways are paid for by Wellstar.

Tuition, books, application and other required program fees are covered through our fully funded tuition programs.

If you have applied to a local school that is a direct pay partner and you are being asked to meet a payment due date to maintain your status in the program, please share with the school that you are participating in a Wellstar Guild Program and that you will be providing a sponsorship letter approximately 30 days prior to program start. If you have any questions or concerns, please submit a CareerCare Inquiry ticket via ServiceNow.

CareerCare programs must be completed outside of work hours, and team members are not paid for this time.

Eligibility for CareerCare programs is based on Wellstar’s education policy. Manager approval is not required to enroll in a CareerCare program.

The CareerCare team will notify the leader of team members enrolled in a CareerCare program after the school’s drop date, typically 6-8 weeks after program start. We encourage program participants to notify their leader of enrollment and class schedule at the start of the program so they can celebrate and support the team member’s career journey.

Leaders are there to offer support and celebrate key milestones on a team member’s career journey. Leaders can assist with problem solving challenges a team member might experience and share valuable resources to support the journey.

We encourage team members to discuss schedule challenges with their leader to problem solve and consider solutions. This may include options such as: a shift in schedule, reduction of hours worked (FTE) or exploration of other benefits to assist with incorporating school and study time. While leaders will do their best to support a team member’s career journey, we cannot guarantee work schedule accommodations. It is important to consider current schedule requirements at time of program selection to find a program that fits along with other commitments.

Wellstar will support job placement following completion of one of our fully funded tuition programs. Speak with a Career Navigator to learn more.

For our fully funded tuition programs, you will not need to repay the tuition if you do not pass the class. However, you must maintain a cumulative GPA (cGPA) of 2.0 or higher for undergraduate degree programs and a cGPA of 3.0 or higher for master’s programs to remain eligible for the benefit.

The work commitment depends on the length of the program. Please connect with a Career Navigator to learn more.