Oregon State University is expanding its relationship with Samaritan Health Services to provide thousands of the regional health system’s employees with more affordable access to academic programs and workforce education opportunities online.
All 6,000 Samaritan employees on the central Oregon coast and in the mid-Willamette Valley are eligible for reduced tuition scholarships through a collaboration with Oregon State E-campus, the university’s online education unit.
The Samaritan workers have access to more than 100 Oregon State degrees, programs and micro-credentials online, including undergraduate- and graduate-level offerings in fields related to health, public policy, business, social sciences and engineering. Microcredentials are three-course bundles that enable learners to quickly gain new skills to meet industry needs.
The agreement follows the recent opening of Oregon State’s new Health Center, a partnership between Samaritan and OSU’s Student Health Services. Samaritan offers primary care and SamCare Express services to OSU students, faculty and staff as well as the public at the 30,000-square-foot facility.