Mass General Brigham is rebranding its training programs as a university.

The MGH Institute of Health Professions will be called Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions starting Sept. 1, according to the organization.

But MGH isn’t new to granting degrees. The hospital created its degree-granting institute 50 years ago with a focus on graduate level degrees, according to Deborah Jones, who has been the leader of the institute since the start of 2026. Jones is scheduled to be inaugurated as the first president of the university on Sept. 10.

In the last two years, the institute has expanded to undergraduate degrees and added certificate programs, according to Jones.

With a new name, Jones hopes to make the university’s identity clearer to students. Experts say the state is facing a major shortage of quality healthcare workers.

In higher education, Jones said a difficult environment has created similar faculty shortages.

“There has historically been this gap or distance between health systems, the employers, and education,” Jones said. “We’ll be looking at what the workforce needs of the future are together — and how we can build it as a higher ed institution.”

Unlike a university outside of a medical system, Mass General Brigham University can respond faster to the workforce needs of the hospital system, Jones said. The school and larger health system can adjust its programs as needed with a closely tied leadership team that has a shared goal of getting qualified workers into critical roles as soon as possible.

“Typically, you see healthcare moving a lot faster than you see higher education moving,” Jones said. “But it’s a conversation from the beginning. Having the higher ed side at the table as a part of the discussion...allows us then to be make those changes a lot quicker.”

The university also hopes to get more students practicing by the bedside quicker, especially in regions that struggle in workforce retention outside of Boston, like Martha’s Vineyard, Jones said.

“It’s a lot harder to recruit in some of the regional and also rural areas than it is inside the urban areas,” Jones said. “We’re hoping that we will be able to expand and be that workforce partner for those that can’t necessarily grow their own.”

While there are currently no guaranteed employment paths at the degree-granting institution, many graduates go on to work in the hospital system. Within one year of graduation in the 2024 academic year, officials said 45% of MGH Institute graduates were Mass General Brigham employees.

More firmer, clearer pathways for students towards employment are likely to come following the name change.

“We have the foundation in place and I really do think there is an opportunity to expand,” Jones said.

This article first appeared in the Boston Business Journal.