Fairmont State Launches Healthcare Micro-Credentials

A partnership with the West Virginia Primary Care Association offers virtual, noncredit training for community health center staff statewide.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Fairmont State Launches Healthcare Micro-Credentials

Live Poll

Should public colleges expand job training programs for local workers?

Fairmont State University and the West Virginia Primary Care Association signed a memorandum of understanding to deliver healthcare workforce micro-credentials for community health center professionals across West Virginia. The first cohort launched October 26 with 33 participants.

Why it matters

The partnership aims to up-skill current employees of community health centers statewide through training built around workforce needs identified by those centers. The stackable credentials also provide pathways toward future academic certificates and degrees in healthcare administration.

The first cohort enrolled 33 participants in a program of four stackable micro-credentials, each made up of four learning modules. Results from learning-outcome tracking have not yet been reported.

The players

Fairmont State University

A public university in Fairmont, West Virginia, offering academic programs including healthcare management.

West Virginia Primary Care Association

A statewide association supporting community health centers across West Virginia.

Dr. Eric Pulice

An assistant professor of healthcare management at Fairmont State who developed the program.

The details

Fairmont State assistant professor of healthcare management Dr. Eric Pulice developed the virtual, noncredit curriculum in collaboration with the West Virginia Primary Care Association. Students take courses online while continuing to work, and the content was built around training needs community health centers identified across the state.

October 26, 2026: First cohort of 33 participants launched.
November 4, 2026: The agreement was publicly reported.

Workforce Pipeline

The program responds to workforce training needs that community health centers identified through the West Virginia Primary Care Association. It adds a stackable, noncredit pathway that can lead toward formal academic certificates and degrees in healthcare administration.

Healthcare workers at community health centers can pursue these credentials while keeping their current jobs, since the courses are delivered virtually. Those who complete the stackable micro-credentials may build toward academic certificates or degrees in healthcare administration.

The takeaway

Workforce training built around employer-identified needs can give current health care staff a practical route to advancement without leaving their jobs. Interested professionals can check whether the stackable structure fits their career goals before enrolling.