Training Tomorrow's Nurses Today: How Chamberlain and SSM's Partnership Stabilizes Healthcare Workforces and Boosts Investor Returns

The U.S. healthcare system faces a looming crisis: a projected shortage of 1 million nurses by 2030, exacerbated by an aging workforce and rising demand for care. Into this breach steps a groundbreaking partnership between Chamberlain University and SSM Health—the Aspiring Nurse Program—a scalable model that promises to transform nursing education and workforce stability. For investors, this collaboration represents a rare opportunity to back a proven solution to a systemic crisis, while positioning Adtalem Global Education (ATGE), Chamberlain's parent company, as a strategic partner in an undersupplied sector. Here's why this partnership is a win-win for healthcare providers, educators, and investors alike.

The Aspiring Nurse Program: A Blueprint for Workforce Stability

The program tackles the nursing shortage head-on by combining tuition support, immersive clinical training, and guaranteed job placement within SSM Health facilities. Over 400 nurses are projected to graduate annually, directly addressing the shortfall while reducing turnover costs for healthcare providers. Key components include:
- Financial Incentives: Students receive tuition assistance in exchange for a post-graduation commitment to work at SSM Health, ensuring a direct pipeline of talent.
- Clinical Immersion: Hands-on training in SSM Health facilities familiarizes students with the hospital's systems and culture, reducing onboarding time and improving retention.
- Geographic Expansion: Launched in Oklahoma in 2025, the program is scaling to Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin, targeting both urban and rural areas underserved by nursing programs.

This model addresses systemic bottlenecks: in 2021, over 91,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools due to faculty and clinical site shortages. By integrating SSM Health's facilities as training grounds, Chamberlain alleviates capacity constraints while ensuring graduates are “day-one ready” to meet provider needs.

How This Partnership Boosts Healthcare Efficiency

The program's success hinges on its ability to improve provider efficiency, a critical factor for hospitals and health systems. Deloitte's 2025 healthcare outlook highlights how clinician burnout and administrative burdens drain productivity. For instance:
- Reduced Administrative Overload: Nurses spend 240–400 hours annually on paperwork, time better spent on patient care. Partnerships like this one embed students in real-world workflows, training them to leverage digital tools that automate tasks (e.g., AI-driven documentation).
- Lower Turnover Costs: The average cost to replace a nurse exceeds $64,000, including recruitment and training. Guaranteed job placements and employer-sponsored retention programs (e.g., competitive salaries, career advancement paths) directly tackle this issue.
- Scalable Workforce Development: The program's expansion blueprint—targeting high-shortage states—creates a replicable model for other healthcare systems, reducing the need for costly locum tenens staffing.

Adtalem Global Education: A Strategic Partner with Undervalued Potential

As the parent company of Chamberlain, Walden University, and Ross University, Adtalem (ATGE) is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this partnership. Its financial performance underscores the model's viability:

- Revenue Growth: Adtalem reported a 13% YOY revenue increase to $417 million in Q1 2025, driven by 11.2% enrollment growth.
- Margin Expansion: Adjusted EBITDA surged 20.1% to $96.7 million, with management targeting a 22.8% margin by year-end.
- Stock Valuation: Trading at a forward P/E of 14.5x, Adtalem is undervalued relative to peers like Strayer (18x) and 2U (22x), despite its superior margin trajectory and balance sheet strength.

The Aspiring Nurse Program is just one pillar of Adtalem's “Growth with Purpose” strategy, which prioritizes high-demand fields like nursing and veterinary medicine. With $265 million in cash and a net leverage ratio of 1.0x, the company is primed to scale partnerships further, leveraging its 36-state BSN program footprint and Walden's 12.2% nursing enrollment growth.

Why Investors Should Take Note

The partnership's scalability and focus on underserved regions make it a defensible moat in an industry with $2.4 trillion in annual U.S. healthcare spending. For investors, the case for Adtalem is threefold:
1. Sector Tailwinds: Aging populations and workforce shortages ensure sustained demand for clinical education.
2. Margin Expansion: The program's operational efficiency (e.g., reduced student attrition, employer-funded training) should boost margins.
3. Undervalued Stock: At current valuations, Adtalem offers upside potential as the market recognizes the program's long-term value to healthcare systems.

Conclusion: A Model for the Future

Chamberlain and SSM Health's partnership isn't just about training nurses—it's about redefining how healthcare systems prepare and retain their most critical workforce. By addressing shortages with a scalable, employer-driven model, this initiative reduces costs for providers while creating a replicable blueprint for other institutions. For investors, Adtalem's financial resilience and strategic positioning in a supply-constrained market make it a compelling buy. With healthcare's workforce challenges only intensifying, this partnership is a cornerstone of stability—and a smart investment in the future of care.

Consider Adtalem Global Education (ATGE) for portfolios seeking exposure to a critical healthcare need, with strong fundamentals and undervalued upside.