SUNY Orange to lead the way in AI healthcare education

The State of New York is giving SUNY Orange $250,000 to help establish the first AI and Healthcare Workforce Center of its kind in the state.

State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) joined college leadership on Monday to announce the initiative at the Middletown campus. He helped secure the new funding for the community college.

The senator said SUNY Orange and other community colleges in New York play a pivotal role in this healthcare revolution, since every facet of healthcare will soon be touched by AI.

“There are so many healthcare professions and jobs that run through the community college level that are going to be interfacing with AI in one way shape or form,” says Skoufis. “What we have to do is make sure they have the skills to harness that AI in their profession.  AI is only going to be advantageous for professions and for the healthcare system broadly if people know how to use it.”

SUNY President Dr. Kristine Young says the school has been discussing the need for this curriculum for some time.   She says there is a dire need to educate healthcare workers on how to best utilize AI in a responsible way.

“We want them to understand the technology that they’re using,” says Young.  “It’s important for them to be able to question AI, to work with their supervisors, work with the patient in the healthcare setting and to know as humans what they need to do with that information once they have it.”

SUNY Orange says its AI and Healthcare Workforce Center will have deliverables in early 2026.

They intend to partner with local healthcare providers to target frontline to mid-level healthcare workers.