• Press Release

Stepful and Mount Sinai Health System Announce Strategic Collaboration to Strengthen Clinical Support Workforce in New York City

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  • New York, NY
  • (May 20, 2026)

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 largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 47,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and leading schools of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it. 

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care from conception through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes more than 6,400 primary and specialty care physicians and 10 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals,” “Best in State Hospitals,” “World’s Best Hospitals,” and  “Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2025-2026.  

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

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