Why HOPE? Why Now?

The United States currently faces a healthcare workforce shortage of more than 700,000 jobs nationwide. In addition to current openings, about 26% of UW Health’s current workforce is nearing retirement. The US has an aging population, and as life expectancy increases, we’ll have more and more people who need quality care as they age. Growing demand for care and an already-short supply make for a dramatic need for healthcare professionals: by 2025, it’s estimated that the US will face a shortage of 200,000 physicians, 500,000 nurses, and 400,000 allied health professionals.

HOPE was founded by Dr. Bridgett Willey in 2013 to help young people of all backgrounds learn about the wide variety of careers in healthcare and identify the many pathways available. Whether a student is interested in direct or indirect patient care, laboratory roles, or administration and support work, HOPE benefits students by giving them access to information and ongoing support as they pursue careers that can positively impact their lives and their communities.

Current Staff

Bridgett Willey

Director for Allied Health Education and Career Pathways at UW Health

Bridgett Willey, PhD, RDMS, RVT, RDCS, RT(R) is the founder of HOPE and Director of the Allied Health Education and Career Pathways Department at UW Health. She is also the Program Director of the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics (UWHC) School of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS), and is the primary research sonographer for the ablation lab. Bridgett has extensive experience in healthcare and leadership and has been in this field for close to 20 years. She has a strong passion to help make all healthcare providers more culturally sensitive and to diversify the healthcare workforce. Her passion and dedication to HOPE is contagious and she inspires all that work with her.

Marshall Behringer

Program Manager, Youth and Nonclinical Apprenticeships

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that Marshall Behringer joins the UW Health Career Pathways team. He earned his B.S. in Secondary Education from UW Madison in 2012 then worked for an educational video game studio called Filament Games for 4 years. He moved on to the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, where he built connections between the Greater Madison business community and the Madison school district to help all kids learn about the various career paths their lives could follow. Now, as Program Manager, his focus is on continuing to grow UW Health’s work in career pathways development and making a difference in kids’ lives. Marshall grew up in central Wisconsin but has lived in Madison for a decade.

Byron E. Bishop II

UW Health Career Pathways Coordinator

MAT K-12 (SpecEd) I have been educating and leading young minds for over 12 years. My Why has never changed only strengthened. My focus is on the representation and support of all those who are considered “other” in our society. The bottom line, I am here, I serve, and I am committed to my BIPOC youth. I have become the teacher and mentor that I was so hungry for when I was a young brown boy and will apply this leadership to meet our students where they are at and bring out the Gold from there.

Archana (Chana) Huxley

UW Health Career Pathways Coordinator

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that Archana (Chana) Huxley joins the Career Pathways team at UW Health. She received her B.S. in Anthropology from MSU- Mankato (MN). After this, she traveled to Greece earning her TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. She furthered her teaching experience by teaching English in South Korea. She began working with UW Health in 2012 in the Sterile Processing Department. After leaving UW, she continued her healthcare interest, traveling between 45+ clinics, teaching the importance of infection control, safety, and sterile processing. Chana is thrilled about her return to UW Health. Chana grew up in Madison and is honored at the opportunity to work with the community and city that helped shape who she is today.

Kelly Bangs

UW Health Career Pathways Coordinator

After 10 years of being in a middle school classroom I am excited to apply my experience and skills to my new role as a Career Pathways Coordinator! I have always enjoyed the opportunity to help others and make connections with people from all walks of life. I look forward to being able to continue to grow professionally by helping students find their passions and reach their goals!

Lin Chun-Seeley

UW Health Career Pathways Coordinator

Lin joins the team with a passion for supporting young adults in their career journey and breaking down barriers. She earned her BA in Collaborative Health and Human Services and fell in love with learning and supporting students throughout the college experience. She decided to earn her MA in Student Affairs Administration and worked for 5 years at different colleges providing leadership and public health trainings. Finding the need to support students before the college experience, she started working at a pediatric hospital to create their workforce development programs. In early 2024, she moved to Wisconsin to be closer to family and excited to start working at UW Health to further her work in youth workforce development.

What We Do

Career Pathways and HOPE has two main goals: 

• First, to support UW Health by building and maintaining a long-term high-quality and diverse workforce pipeline;
• Second, to support underrepresented youth by developing accessible pathways into healthcare careers, including experiential learning, mentorship, and meaningful employment opportunities

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Assisting in the development of a UW Health workforce that is reflective of the patients and communities that we serve.

We partner with local community-based organizations and institutions to engage youth and adults, especially those whose identities are underrepresented in healthcare, in career-exploration and work-based learning programs. Our programming, which includes ongoing advising and meaningful work experiences, helps our audiences think about their interests, priorities, ideal futures, and career paths within healthcare. Our hope is that many of our “customers” will enter the field and work for UW Health.

In short, we seek to Find Them, Engage Them, Grow Them, and Hire Them.