HCA Healthcare to Acquire The College of Health Care Professions in Strategic Move to Strengthen Healthcare Workforce Pipeline
HCA Healthcare, Inc one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, and The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP), a leading Texas-based allied health education institution, have announced a definitive agreement under which HCA Healthcare will acquire CHCP. The move is aimed at strengthening the healthcare workforce pipeline and expanding access to career-focused medical education across Texas and beyond.
The acquisition reflects a long-standing relationship between the two organizations and builds upon years of collaboration in healthcare training, clinical education, and workforce development initiatives. CHCP currently educates more than 8,000 students annually across 10 campuses in Texas, along with online programs designed to serve working adults seeking entry into healthcare careers.
Strengthening the Healthcare Talent Pipeline
HCA Healthcare leadership emphasized that the acquisition is part of a broader strategy to invest in workforce development and ensure a steady supply of skilled healthcare professionals to meet rising patient demand across the United States.
Sam Hazen, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Healthcare, highlighted the significance of CHCP’s role in preparing healthcare workers and its alignment with HCA’s long-term mission.
“The College of Health Care Professions has built a strong legacy of preparing skilled and compassionate healthcare professionals,” Hazen said. “Together, we are investing in the future of healthcare and strengthening the talent pipeline that will serve patients and communities.”
HCA Healthcare has increasingly focused on workforce development as a core strategic priority, recognizing that staffing shortages in clinical roles—particularly in nursing, diagnostic imaging, and allied health professions—continue to challenge healthcare systems nationwide.
By integrating CHCP into its broader educational ecosystem, HCA Healthcare aims to enhance training opportunities, improve clinical readiness among graduates, and support faster pathways into employment within hospitals, outpatient centers, and specialty care facilities.
CHCP’s Legacy in Healthcare Education
Founded in 1988, The College of Health Care Professions has played a significant role in Texas’s healthcare education landscape. Over the past several decades, the institution has trained more than 52,000 students for careers in healthcare, focusing primarily on allied health fields that support physicians, nurses, and other clinical professionals.
CHCP’s academic model is designed to serve adult learners, many of whom balance education with work and family responsibilities. The institution offers flexible hybrid and online learning formats to make healthcare education more accessible to non-traditional students.
Currently, CHCP offers more than 20 accredited programs, including training in:
- Medical Assisting
- Sonography
- Surgical Technology
- Radiologic Technology
- Medical Coding and Billing
These programs are designed to prepare students for entry-level healthcare roles and provide stackable credentials that allow individuals to advance their careers over time.
With a network of 10 campuses across Texas and a strong online education platform, CHCP has become one of the state’s largest providers of allied health workforce training.
A Deepening Partnership Between HCA and CHCP
The acquisition builds on a relationship that has existed for decades between the two organizations. HCA Healthcare and CHCP have previously collaborated on program advisory boards, clinical training placements, and workforce placement initiatives.
One of the most notable examples of their collaboration occurred in 2023, when the two organizations jointly launched a 12-week Medical Assistant training program. The initiative was designed to upskill existing healthcare workers and strengthen staffing pipelines for HCA Healthcare’s urgent care centers across Texas.
Since its launch, more than 100 participants have graduated from the program, many of whom have transitioned into new or expanded roles within HCA Healthcare facilities.
This collaboration demonstrated the potential impact of aligning healthcare education institutions directly with provider organizations, ensuring that training programs are closely matched to real-world clinical needs.
HCA Healthcare leaders have indicated that acquiring CHCP will allow for even greater alignment between curriculum design, clinical training, and workforce deployment.
Leadership Continuity and Operational Structure
Following the acquisition, CHCP will continue operating under its existing leadership structure. Eric Bing, who currently serves as Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of CHCP, will remain in his role after the transaction is completed.
Bing expressed optimism about the acquisition and its potential to expand opportunities for students and healthcare workers.
“CHCP is excited to be part of HCA Healthcare,” he said. “Our goal is for our shared commitment to adult learner success, academic excellence and workforce readiness to help increase opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals and make a positive impact in communities across the country.”
Maintaining leadership continuity is expected to ensure stability for students, faculty, and staff while enabling a smooth integration into HCA Healthcare’s broader organizational framework.
Expanding Access to Healthcare Careers
A key objective of the acquisition is to expand access to healthcare education, particularly for underserved communities and adult learners seeking flexible training options.
CHCP’s educational model emphasizes practical, career-oriented training that prepares students for immediate entry into the healthcare workforce. By combining CHCP’s educational expertise with HCA Healthcare’s operational scale and clinical network, the partnership is expected to create expanded internship opportunities, clinical placements, and job pathways.
HCA Healthcare operates 189 hospitals and approximately 2,600 ambulatory care sites across 19 U.S. states and the United Kingdom, providing a broad network of clinical environments where students and graduates may gain hands-on experience.
This integration is expected to strengthen the connection between education and employment, reducing barriers for students entering healthcare fields and improving retention in high-demand roles.
HCA Healthcare’s Broader Investment in Education
The acquisition of CHCP is consistent with HCA Healthcare’s broader investments in healthcare education and workforce development.
In 2020, the company acquired a majority stake in Galen College of Nursing, one of the largest nursing education providers in the United States. Since that acquisition, Galen has expanded significantly, opening 20 new campuses and operating a total of 25 campuses nationwide.
HCA Healthcare also operates additional educational institutions, including Research College of Nursing in Kansas City, Missouri, and HCA Florida Mercy College of Nursing in Miami, Florida.
In 2025, the company further expanded its academic partnerships by helping to launch the School of Nursing at Pepperdine University’s College of Health Sciences.
Beyond direct educational investments, HCA Healthcare and its philanthropic arm, the HCA Healthcare Foundation, have supported multiple workforce development initiatives. These include funding programs aimed at increasing access to healthcare career pathways in high schools and supporting underserved communities.
For example, in 2022, the foundation announced a $1.35 million grant to Educate Texas to support healthcare-focused P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) programs. In 2025, an additional $1 million was committed to expand these efforts.
Similarly, in 2024, the foundation pledged $1 million to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations to support the Career Pathways to a Healthier Florida program, which helps expand healthcare training opportunities for high school students across the state.
Transaction Details and Regulatory Approval
The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed by either organization.
Advisory and legal firms involved in the transaction include Macquarie Capital, which served as exclusive financial advisor to CHCP. Cooley LLP acted as transaction and regulatory counsel for CHCP.
On the HCA Healthcare side, Holland & Knight LLP served as transaction counsel, while Husch Blackwell LLP provided regulatory counsel.
About HCA Healthcare
HCA Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the largest healthcare service providers in the United States. The company operates 189 hospitals and approximately 2,600 sites of care, including outpatient surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and physician clinics.
Founded in 1968, HCA Healthcare pioneered a new model of hospital care that leverages scale and integrated operations to improve efficiency, enhance patient outcomes, and expand access to care.
The organization reports approximately 47 million patient encounters annually and has positioned itself as a “learning health system,” using clinical data and research to improve care delivery. Its research contributions include studies demonstrating the benefits of full-term delivery over early elective delivery and protocols that reduce bloodstream infections in intensive care units.
About The College of Health Care Professions (CHCP)
The College of Health Care Professions is a Texas-based career college specializing in allied health education. Established in 1988, CHCP has educated more than 52,000 graduates and continues to focus on preparing students for entry-level healthcare roles through flexible, career-focused programs.
With both campus-based and online learning options, CHCP serves thousands of students annually and emphasizes hands-on training, academic support, and workforce readiness. Its mission centers on helping students gain the technical skills and credentials needed to succeed in healthcare careers while supporting long-term professional growth.
