New nursing school opens minutes from Anderson Township as region faces worker shortage

A new nursing school opened Thursday, Aug. 20, bringing training and education to a region where healthcare employers posted nearly 50,000 job openings a year.

Chamberlain University, the country's largest nursing school, cut the ribbon on its Cincinnati campus at the Tower at Kenwood in Sycamore Township. It is the university's 25th location nationwide, and its first cohort of students begins classes Aug. 31, according to a Chamberlain University news release.

Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, who represents Anderson Township, Mariemont, Terrace Park and Newtown, declared Aug. 20 "Chamberlain University Day" and presented a proclamation at the ceremony.

"We have suffered from a shortage of nurses really since COVID," Driehaus told Fox 19. "And so Chamberlain University opening up here — we're thrilled to have them coming to Cincinnati."

Ohio state Rep. Karen Brownlee, whose District 28 includes Sycamore Township, also spoke, along with Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn, Cincinnati Regional Chamber President and CEO Brendon Cull and Chamberlain President Amelia Manning.

The campus sits inside the Kenwood Collection, a 520,000-square-foot mixed-use development adjacent to Kenwood Towne Centre, according to the Cincinnati Port Authority.

Why it matters locally

Greater Cincinnati employers posted roughly 50,000 healthcare job openings last year, with six open positions for every healthcare graduate in the region, according to the 2026 Covista Care Capacity Monitor. That gap affects staffing at hospitals and clinics across Hamilton County, including those serving Anderson Township and the surrounding villages.

Isaacsohn said the campus expands Cincinnati's long-term education capacity, calling Chamberlain "the largest nursing school in the country."

Executive Campus Director Priya Shastri said Chamberlain intends to complement existing programs rather than compete with them, adding that closing the region's nursing shortage will take every program working toward the same goal.

The campus offers a three-year, year-round Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with no application fee and no prerequisite courses. It features a simulation center where students practice clinical skills before moving into rotations with local healthcare partners.

Scholarship and youth partnership

At the ceremony, social media creator Zachery Dereniowski, known as "MD Motivator," surprised Cincinnati resident Damenika Jacobs with the inaugural Future Healthcare Hero BSN Scholarship, covering the full cost of her nursing degree. Three additional full-ride scholarships are open to Cincinnati-area residents; no application deadline has been announced.

Separately, Chamberlain and parent company Covista announced a three-year, $150,000 partnership with The Health Collaborative to bring year-long healthcare career exploration programs to Cincinnati-area middle and high school students through local youth centers. Which specific school districts or youth centers will participate has not been disclosed.