Stepful and Mount Sinai Health System Announce Strategic Collaboration to Strengthen Clinical Support Workforce in New York City
Stepful and Mount Sinai Health System today announced a strategic collaboration to establish a specialized patient care associate (PCA) training program aimed at strengthening the clinical support workforce and expanding the pipeline of ancillary staff across the New York City metropolitan area to meet current and future care needs.
The initiative is designed to prepare individuals for entry into ancillary clinical support roles with foundational skills in electrocardiography (EKG), phlebotomy, and direct patient care. The program supports Mount Sinai’s broader workforce strategy by helping to build a sustainable, community-based pipeline of trained talent.
The PCA training program includes an intensive 12-week curriculum focused on core competencies, including:
- Phlebotomy: Blood draw techniques and specimen processing
- EKG: Performing and understanding basic electrocardiograms
- Direct Patient Care: Vital sign monitoring, patient rounding, hygiene support, and mobility assistance
By combining Stepful’s training infrastructure with Mount Sinai’s clinical input, the program is intended to expand access to health care careers while reinforcing care team capacity across the system.
“Our mission at Stepful is to create accessible pathways into health care careers,” said Carl Madi, CEO of Stepful. “Through this collaboration, we are working to connect training with real-world clinical needs, helping to prepare individuals for roles that are essential to care delivery.”
Health care systems continue to face increasing workforce challenges, particularly in ancillary and support roles that are critical to day-to-day operations. PCAs play an important role in supporting interdisciplinary care teams by performing routine but essential clinical tasks, helping enable licensed clinicians to focus on more complex care.
“Mount Sinai is focused on strengthening the health care workforce through innovative training and development approaches,” said Jane Maksoud, RN, MPA, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “This collaboration supports the development of a broader, more sustainable pipeline of ancillary staff from the communities we serve. By investing in these roles, we are reinforcing our care teams today while helping to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of patients in the future.”
“Patient Care Associates are essential members of the care team, helping to ensure that patients receive compassionate, high-quality support throughout their care journey,” said Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai Health System. “Through this collaboration with Stepful, we are creating new pathways into health care careers, investing in training and skill development, building a sustainable pipeline of talent that reflects the communities we serve, and advancing our commitment to exceptional patient care across the Mount Sinai Health System.”
About Stepful
Stepful is a healthcare education company focused on helping individuals launch careers through accessible, accelerated training programs. The organization works with healthcare providers and community partners to prepare learners for in-demand roles such as medical assistants and pharmacy technicians.
Recognized by TIME Magazine and Statista among leading education technology companies, Stepful continues to expand access to healthcare career pathways for diverse populations, including military families, career changers, and first-generation students.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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