Registered Nurse Intern

Metro Tech introduces new Registered Behavioral Health Technician program, partnering with OU Health. July 22, 2026 As demand for behavioral health professionals continues to rise across Oklahoma, Metro Tech is launching a new Registered Behavioral Health Technician (RBT) program. The first cohort is currently underway, and a free orientation on July 28, 2026, at the Metro Tech Health Careers Center will give prospective students the chance to learn more about the career and course expectations. RBTs provide one-on-one support to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. As an integral part of the behavioral health workforce, they implement individualized treatment plans that help clients develop communication, social, behavioral, and daily living skills while promoting greater independence. The 64-hour RBT course at Metro Tech is designed to meet the 2026 Registered Behavior Technician curriculum requirements established by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Tuition will be $550 and will include 40 hours of online coursework, 16 hours of in-person instruction led by a certified Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) instructor, and an 8-hour hands-on training day featuring CPR certification, practical skill application, and certification exam preparation. Additionally, Metro Tech is partnering with the Oklahoma Children's OU Health Behavioral Health Center to provide students with required clinical training under the supervision of experienced professionals. "Meeting the growing need for pediatric behavioral health care requires investing in great facilities and the skilled professionals who will deliver that care," said Jimmy Duncan, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, OU Health Chief Human Resources Officer. "As Oklahoma Children's OU Health prepares to open our new Behavioral Health Center in December 2026, we're proud to partner with Metro Tech to help build a strong pipeline of Registered Behavioral Health Technicians through hands-on education and real-world clinical experience. By investing in the next generation of caregivers, we're creating meaningful career opportunities, strengthening Oklahoma's behavioral health workforce and expanding access to the compassionate, high-quality care that children and families across our state need and deserve." According to a 2026 national workforce report from Inseparable, a mental health advocacy group, Oklahoma currently meets just 21% of its mental health workforce needs, creating shortages across mental and behavioral health services. Recognizing the growing demand, Metro Tech developed the program to help build a pipeline of qualified professionals ready to step directly into the role. "We believe workforce development is about preparing people for meaningful careers while meeting the needs of our community, and right now, that need is greater access to mental and behavioral health services," said Casey Rainbolt, Metro Tech's Economic and Workforce Development Director. "Through our partnership with OU Health, we are creating a career pathway that combines quality instruction with hands-on learning, so students are ready to make a difference from day one." Registration for the July 28 orientation and additional information are available at www.metrotech.edu/RBT. Oklahoma Children's OU Health Oklahoma Children's OU Health is anchored by the state's only comprehensive, freestanding children's hospital and powered by a statewide team of pediatric experts - delivering care through hospital-based services and pediatric clinics located across the Oklahoma City metro area, including the University of Oklahoma Health Campus and communities throughout the state. Proudly serving all 77 counties, we bring breakthroughs to every child and every family. With unshakable optimism and a family-centered approach, our pediatric specialists lead with empathy, innovation and unstoppable drive. As part of the University of Oklahoma's academic health system, OU Health, the pediatric specialists at Oklahoma Children's are at the forefront of medical innovation, conducting groundbreaking research and training future healthcare leaders. Families trust our pediatric expertise, from leading-edge heart surgery to 24/7 emergency care. We offer the state's only pediatric Level I Trauma Center, the most comprehensive Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, the region's sole pediatric heart transplant program, and a dedicated pediatric mental and behavioral health facility coming in 2026. At Oklahoma Children's, we provide a family-centered approach to healing, supported by resources like pet therapy, music therapy, and child life specialists. One of the largest and most diverse technology centers in Oklahoma, Metro Tech has four campuses offering short-term, career and customized business training options. Campuses are located in South Oklahoma City, Northeast Oklahoma City, Downtown Oklahoma City and the Will Rogers Airport.

New England Journal of Medicine heralds OU Health transformation as Oklahoma's flagship Academic Health System. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, a publication of the New England Journal of Medicine, has published an in-depth account of OU Health's ongoing transformation as the state's flagship academic health system, validating a vision that began five years ago to fully align the University of Oklahoma's education, research and clinical care missions to create one of Oklahoma's most valued assets. That alignment established OU Health as the state's unparalleled resource for complex health care. Today, OU Health is a growing enterprise that sees nearly one million patients a year, providing Oklahoma's largest array of specialists and subspecialists for the most complex cases and providing access to cutting-edge clinical trials, novel therapies and the latest medical advances. "In a remarkably short time, OU Health has made transformational progress that is changing outcomes for Oklahomans and advancing our academic health system's ability to serve communities across the state," said University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz Jr. "This recognition by the New England Journal of Medicine affirms what is possible when mission, leadership and culture are fully aligned. OU Health's turnaround reflects a renewed commitment to excellence in patient care, education and discovery, and most importantly, to the people of Oklahoma we are called to serve." The article, "Turning Around an Academic Health System by Reshaping Culture and Improving Performance," highlights that these outcomes were only possible because of the foundational work that began with the 2021 merger, which unified OU Health under a single, academically driven structure and eliminated reliance on a for-profit system that sent profits out of state. This three-year effort addressed structural realities that had previously prevented success, creating the conditions necessary to recruit the exceptional leadership team who reshaped the organization's culture, priorities and operations. This structural transformation was the essential first step that enabled the measurable improvements in patient care, safety, financial performance and statewide impact now recognized by the New England Journal of Medicine. "This is about fulfilling the covenant the University of Oklahoma and OU Health made with this state: Oklahoma deserves a true academic health system," said Richard P. Lofgren, M.D., M.P.H., president and CEO of OU Health. "When education, research and clinical care work together, the result is better outcomes for patients, a stronger workforce and healthier communities. NEJM Catalyst confirms we are on the right path." In addition to the financial turnaround and increasing investment in health-related research funding, other metrics reflect meaningful progress: reductions in hospital-acquired infections and mortality, an improved safety culture and rising patient volumes. In addition, community hospitals statewide increasingly rely on OU Health for specialty consultations, complex transfers and telemedicine access to subspecialists that bring expert, advanced care to patients close to home. The OU College of Medicine trains most of Oklahoma's physicians, many of whom remain in the state to practice, directly strengthening the statewide health care workforce. With a strong leadership team in place and the health system's finances on a solid upward trajectory, Harroz said there are plans to tackle new, health-related goals on behalf of the state: reducing statewide cancer mortality by 10 percent in the next five years and decreasing diabetes-related complications by 30 percent. OU Health's presence continues to grow, with new facilities and expanded services at Stephenson Cancer Center in Norman and McAlester, and a new Tulsa location set to open in 2028. The University also is working toward doubling the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials to further improve the health outcomes across Oklahoma, and there is an increased commitment to expanding enrollment in health programs to help meet the state's workforce needs with a focus on addressing the urgent shortage of healthcare providers in rural communities.