AHN courts nurse anesthesia students with up to $110,000 in loan repayment

Allegheny Health Network is recruiting nurse anesthesia students nationally with up to $110,000 in student loan repayment, seeking commitments before graduation while tying the largest payment to three years of full-time employment in Western Pennsylvania.

Students within two years of graduation can apply through Clasp, a Boston-based recruiting and loan-repayment platform, and receive an employment commitment before finishing their training, according to the health system’s Sept. 21 announcement. Participants agree to a multi-year employment term. AHN selects recipients; admission to the program is not guaranteed.

The payments come as annual lump sums toward eligible student loans through Clasp: up to $20,000 after 12 months of employment, up to $30,000 after 24 months and up to $60,000 after 36 months. Only full-time employees qualify. AHN says employees keep every dollar already contributed toward loan principal, without clawbacks.

AHN said the campaign addresses regional and national shortages of certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs. It linked inadequate CRNA staffing to difficulty meeting surgical demand, particularly for elective procedures, as well as delayed operating-room starts, longer turnaround times and clinician burnout.

The collaboration gives AHN access to a broader national population of candidates, the system said. AHN is Clasp’s first Pennsylvania collaborator and operates a network of 16 hospitals.