Houston Methodist has partnered with Rice University to launch a three-year program aimed at expanding Texas’ digital health workforce. The initiative is supported by an approximately $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation and will run from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2028.
The program, called Explorations: Advancing Texas Workforce — Experiential Learning in Digital Health Technologies, is a collaboration between Houston Methodist, the Houston Methodist-Rice Digital Health Institute and Rice University’s Office of STEM Engagement.
Each year, the program will engage 15 high school students, 15 community college students and 10 high school teachers in hands-on training focused on biomedical hardware and artificial intelligence for healthcare, according to a Sept. 29 university news release. Participants will complete two intensive two-week summer tracks, followed by seven Saturday sessions to develop clinical prototypes.
Houston Methodist clinicians will serve as mentors, host observation days, and support needs assessments in hospital settings to expose participants to real-world challenges and applications. The initiative aims to build a pipeline of talent with skills in hardware and software used in digital health.
