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Missouri spotlights statewide push to grow high-demand career pathways during Apprenticeship Week. Governor Mike Kehoe signed a proclamation designating April 26-May 2 as Apprenticeship Week in Missouri, highlighting the importance of registered apprenticeships for job seekers, employers, and the state's overall economic growth. The designation aims to raise awareness of the critical role apprenticeships play in developing a skilled workforce and supporting Missouri's long-term prosperity. "Registered apprenticeships are a proven, industry-driven training model that opens the door to high quality careers by providing a clear pathway for Missourians to build in-demand skills, advance professionally, and secure long-term success in growing fields," said Governor Kehoe. "Across Missouri, thousands of apprentices are building the skills needed to support the state's economy in priority fields such as public safety, agriculture, education, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare." Missouri aims to strengthen its talent pipeline by increasing access to training and education aligned with rapidly evolving workforce needs. The state has seen an 88 percent increase in active apprentices from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2026, reflecting a strong, sustained commitment to skills-based workforce development. "Apprenticeships are helping Missouri close critical workforce gaps by expanding access to high-quality training and preparing more individuals for the careers employers need most," said Dr. Bennett Boggs, Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (MDHEWD). "Through structured on-the-job learning, apprentices gain the skills required for in-demand occupations and contribute to building a diverse, highly skilled workforce prepared to meet the needs of employers statewide." More than 10,900 youth aged 16-24, nearly 1,300 veterans, and over 500 Missourians aged 55 and older are currently participating in registered apprenticeship programs, demonstrating that these pathways offer meaningful opportunities for individuals at every stage of life. "Employers across various industries are looking for workers who are prepared, confident, and ready to contribute on day one," said Julie Carter, Director of the Office of Workforce Development. "Registered apprenticeships offer exactly that by providing real-world experience, mentorship, and a direct connection to in-demand jobs. Missouri's continued growth in apprenticeship participation shows that this model delivers results for both job seekers and businesses." MDHEWD marked National Apprenticeship Week with its annual Apprenticeship Missouri Summit April 28 in Sedalia. The event brought together leaders from across the state to explore Missouri's current apprenticeship landscape, examine outcomes connected to the state's labor market, and emphasize the essential role mentorship plays in apprentice success. Attendees also received national updates on apprenticeship initiatives and discussed how the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is shaping the future of registered apprenticeship programs. During the summit, four Apprenticeship Missouri Awards were presented to honor the contributions of partnering agencies and organizations. Award recipients included: * John Gaal Apprenticeship Missouri Legacy Award: Patrick Hanneken, Special School District - Hanneken has been a valued partner of the Construction Career Development Initiative and Clayco, which has helped expose and connect thousands of students to careers in construction and apprenticeship opportunities. * Partner of the Year: National Disability Institute - The National Disability Institute (NDI) has been a key driver in an initiative to support youth with disabilities in accessing apprenticeships in STEM career pathways for two years. NDI has developed informational flyers for youth, produced videos highlighting individuals in STEM career pathways, and is currently working on a pilot project to build connections and expand opportunities for youth through registered apprenticeships in southeast Missouri. * Provider of the Year: Association of Missouri Electric Cooperative (AMEC) - AMEC has demonstrated its commitment to implementing a solid, apprenticeship program for its linemen. The program has trained over 900 apprentices and continues to grow its list of participating employer partners. * Employer of the Year: Cox Health - Cox Health is recognized as one of the top 10 employer program sponsors in Missouri, with commendable program management and implementation. To date, Cox Health has more than 350 active apprentices in a range of health-related occupations, including EMT, medical assistant, certified phlebotomist technician, and graduate nursing resident. Photographs from the Apprenticeship Missouri Summit will be available on MDHEWD's Flickr page.

CoxHealth to launch new family medicine residency program. Posted 3/26/26 Cox Medical Center Branson will host the initiative starting this summer. This item is for subscribers only. Access exclusive local business news and insights Annual and monthly subscriptions available Having trouble logging in to your subscription?

Insurance changes leave thousands in southwest Missouri without access to CoxHealth providers. * Najifa Farhat, KBIA * Mar 25, 2026 Updated 18 hrs ago Thousands of residents in southwest Missouri are scrambling to find new doctors after insurance changes left CoxHealth - the region's largest health system - unavailable for many marketplace patients. The disruption comes as nearly 350,000 Missouri residents enrolled in Affordable Care Act marketplace plans this year. That number represents about 5% of all the state's residents, but it's actually about 10% lower than a year ago. Congress let federal subsidies lapse, which meant insurance premiums for those on ACA marketplace plans skyrocketed. In Greene and Webster counties, many patients say they were unable to find plans that include CoxHealth providers, forcing them to switch coverage, change doctors or go without care. The decision affects Springfield, the state's third-largest city - which is also home to CoxHealth's headquarters. CoxHealth said last fall that, "based on current analysis and the uncertainty of the marketplace," its insurance arm, CoxHealth Plans, would not offer marketplace plans in those counties this year, according to a news release the health system provided to KBIA. It remains unclear whether any insurer offers marketplace plans that include CoxHealth providers in the area. A spokesperson for Anthem, the nation's second-largest health insurer, confirmed that company does not. UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurance firm, said it offers marketplace plans in Greene County through a CoxHealth competitor, Mercy, but did not directly address CoxHealth. 'It's a scramble' According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, nearly 23,000 people in Greene County and about 2,800 in Webster County enrolled in marketplace plans in 2025. For patients such as Heather Lewis, the change has had immediate consequences. Lewis, a Springfield social worker, has multiple chronic conditions, including lupus, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own tissues. She relies on four specialists for digestive, kidney and nerve-related care. For 22 years, Lewis received treatment through CoxHealth. But when she went to renew her insurance last November, she learned none of her doctors would be considered in-network for 2026. "It was really stressful... knowing it would be hard to find new specialists, and that I might not have care for several months because of waitlists. That was a big blow," she said. Lewis said missing care could mean skipping a monthly blood transfusion. She ultimately switched most of her treatment to Mercy. "I had really good relationships with all of my doctors," she said. "You build that over time - and now suddenly I have to explain everything to five new people." She is still waiting to see some specialists and has been referred to a gastroenterologist in St. Louis - a nearly three-hour drive away. Others report similar challenges. David James, a tattoo artist in Marshfield, a town just northeast of Springfield, has Crohn's disease and requires an injection every eight weeks to manage his condition. He also had to leave CoxHealth and switch to Mercy, where he encountered long wait times. "I was so close to getting my injection, which was a scramble," he said. "They had been inundated with other patients coming in because of this cancellation of coverage." When he eventually received treatment, he was billed for a $300 copay, a cost he said he did not have before. He is now working with the drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson to try to reduce the price. Carrie Dayal, a nurse, said she previously visited a Cox clinic in the Springfield suburb of Willard with her husband, who has Type 2 diabetes. The clinic was a five-minute drive from their home. Now, she said, the transition has created both logistical and financial strain. Her insurance premium has increased by nearly $200 compared to last year. "It's just a financial strain," she said. "Also the provider I'm seeing, I got their first appointment date in April. So we're just having to wait and are kind of stuck in between if anybody is sick or has a problem." Rachel Swindle, a doctoral candidate and policy researcher at Harvard University, said disputes like this often come down to negotiating power between hospitals and insurers. CoxHealth is a major player in the Springfield area, giving it significant leverage in contract negotiations. "From the hospital's perspective, it sounds like they have a lot more negotiating power, as we've mentioned earlier, they have the largest market share in terms of the provider landscape in that area," Swindle said. "That means that they have more power when you're negotiating those rates with insurers to extract a higher price from insurers." When those negotiations break down, she said, patients are often left to bear the consequences. "There's probably blame to go around, both from the insurers, from the hospitals and big health systems but also from policymakers and federal regulators and their failure or slow response times contribute to a lot of these dynamics," she said.