LHMC and Northeastern University Launch Massachusetts’ First AI Healthcare Registered Apprenticeship Program

BURLINGTON, MA. — A new partnership between Beth Israel Lahey Health and Northeastern University is bringing the future of healthcare workforce development to Burlington. The launch of Massachusetts’ first AI Healthcare Registered Apprenticeship Program displays a partnership between higher education and healthcare through applied artificial intelligence training. The program gives participants a chance to experience a real healthcare environment - creating a new pathway for students and workers to build careers at the intersection of healthcare and technology. 

This partnership between Lahey and Northeastern reflects a broader reality that while Boston is widely recognized as a global hub for healthcare, life sciences, and innovation, transformative work is also happening here in Burlington. Through partnerships like this one, organizations are building meaningful programs that strengthen the regional workforce and expand access to high-impact career opportunities.

Participants in the apprenticeship will work directly within healthcare environments while studying applied AI, allowing them to “learn by doing” according to Jared Auclair, Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

“This program brings together applied AI and education,” Auclair said, "with structured, hands-on learning and a real healthcare environment”.

The apprenticeship program is designed to help healthcare systems adopt artificial intelligence in practical ways—automating routine tasks, boosting job performance, and speeding up workflows so that healthcare providers can provide patients with the best care possible.

Leaders at Northeastern and Lahey say the program also reflects a broader commitment to workforce development. Dr. Susan Moffatt-Bruce, President of Lahey Hospital & Medical Center stated, “I think from what we’ve seen today is that healthcare is at an inflection point. We no longer can theorize around artificial intelligence, instead we need to embrace it.” According to Dr. Moffatt-Bruce, healthcare innovation must be fast and safe, governed appropriately, and delivered in a way that provides real value to clinicians and patients. 

She noted that Lahey has been investing heavily in innovation, including the creation of the Lahey Innovation Hub, developed in partnership with the UMass Chan Institute for Healthcare Delivery Science, to ensure emerging technologies are integrated responsibly into patient care.

The program also supports Beth Israel Lahey Health’s commitment to training people for critical roles within the organization while expanding career opportunities for individuals living in the communities it serves.

Thos program is designed not only to prepare apprentices for immediate roles in AI-enabled healthcare operations but also to create pathways for lifelong career advancement.

Auclair emphasized that the collaboration highlights one of Massachusetts’ greatest strengths: partnership.

The event also introduced the program’s first registered apprentice, Diego Martins, a senior at Northeastern University, from Bedford, MA, who recently began his apprenticeship at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center.

Martins described the opportunity to be part of the first AI Healthcare Registered Apprenticeship Program in Massachusetts “incredibly meaningful”

As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries worldwide, leaders from healthcare, education, and government say initiatives like this apprenticeship program will play a critical role in ensuring the next generation of workers is prepared to lead that transformation—right here in Burlington