Allegheny Health Network Launches New National CRNA Recruiting Campaign, $110,000 Student Loan Repayment Program, to Strengthen Western Pennsylvania's Certified Nurse Anesthetist Workforce

The loan repayment program — created in collaboration with Clasp, a national leader in retention-driven healthcare recruiting — positions AHN as an employer of choice for early-career CRNA talent

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Allegheny Health Network (AHN) today announced the launch of a new national recruitment and loan repayment program designed to strengthen the pipeline of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) in Western Pennsylvania.

The workforce investment campaign aims to address the ongoing regional and national shortages in CRNAs by reducing financial barriers to education and attracting early-career CRNA talent. A CRNA is an advanced practice registered nurse who specializes in administering anesthesia and monitoring patients before, during, and after surgical procedures.

Without an adequate supply of CRNAs, health systems have trouble meeting patient access demands for surgical procedures, especially elective procedures. Operating rooms face delayed starts and extended turnaround times, and CRNAs themselves experience higher burnout rates.

Through a new collaboration with Clasp, a national leader in retention-driven healthcare recruiting, AHN will provide employer-sponsored student loan repayment for qualified nurse anesthesia students who commit to joining the organization full-time as a CRNA after graduation.

The collaboration with Clasp allows AHN to reach a much broader, national population of CRNA candidates.

Clasp, based in Boston, connects employers to healthcare students through its national retention-driven recruitment platform. By enabling health care systems to sponsor loan repayment tied to early job commitments, Clasp helps employers to secure job commitments while students are still in school, and gives students and early-career professionals access to guaranteed debt relief, deferring loan repayment until after they hit retention milestones.

AHN is Clasp's first Pennsylvania collaborator.

How it works for students:

• Employer Matching: Students apply through Clasp and match with participating hospitals or health networks (such as AHN) that need nurse anesthetists.
  
  
• Work Commitment: Students agree to a multi-year employment term with AHN, in exchange for a debt repayment commitment.
  
  
• Direct Payments: Once the student begins full-time employment, AHN makes regular monthly payments directly to the federal or private student loan servicer, through the Clasp platform.
  
  
• No Claw-backs: Employees keep every dollar contributed by the employer toward principal balance.

Loan repayment is distributed over the employee's first three years of employment through the Clasp platform.¹

The launch comes as healthcare organizations nationwide continue to face significant shortages of CRNAs and other advanced practice clinicians, with hospitals competing aggressively for a limited pool of hard-to-hire talent. By investing in future CRNAs before they enter the workforce, AHN is taking a proactive approach to building a strong talent pipeline while helping nurse anesthesia students transition from school into high-impact clinical careers.

"Healthcare systems across the country are exploring innovative ways to recruit and retain talented clinical professionals, and anesthesia is clearly a priority for most organizations," said Stacy Kittridge, VP, Human Resources Highmark and AHN. "Working with Clasp gives us the opportunity to engage CRNA students earlier in their training, help ease one of the biggest financial barriers of pursuing this career path, and build lasting relationships with clinicians who will be critical to AHN's future workforce."

Eligible CRNA students who are within two years of graduation may apply to the program, receive an employment commitment prior to graduation, and begin receiving student loan repayment once they join AHN full-time.

"Healthcare organizations are rethinking how they attract and retain hard-to-hire clinical talent in an increasingly competitive labor market," said Tess Michaels, CEO & Founder of Clasp. "Allegheny Health Network is leading the way by investing in nurse anesthesia students before they graduate, creating a pathway that helps reduce student debt while building a stronger, more resilient CRNA workforce for Western Pennsylvania."

The initiative supports AHN's broader workforce strategy focused on talent attraction, retention, pipeline development, and expanding access to meaningful healthcare careers throughout the region.

Nurse anesthesia students interested in launching their careers with Allegheny Health Network are encouraged to visit careers.ahn.org or learn more about the program at clasp.com/alleghenyhealthnetwork.

About Allegheny Health Network
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated health care delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The network is composed of 16 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home- and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. AHN provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 27,000 people, has 3,000 physicians on its medical staff, and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and Duquesne University Nasuti College of Osteopathic Medicine.

About Clasp
Clasp is a venture-backed fintech company helping employers build stronger talent pipelines through pre-recruitment and employer-sponsored student loan repayment. By aligning education financing with workforce demand, Clasp reduces risk for employers, schools, and students alike. Learn more at clasp.com.

¹ If qualified, selected, and employed full-time by Allegheny Health Network, AHN will pay up to $110,000 toward eligible, synced student loans via the Clasp platform in annual lump-sum installments: up to $20,000 after 12 months of employment, up to $30,000 after 24 months of employment, and up to $60,000 after 36 months of employment. Program is open to full-time team members only; program selection is not guaranteed and is determined by AHN, not Clasp. Individuals may be subject to income tax on some or all loan payments made on their behalf. See program terms at clasp.com/students.

SOURCE Allegheny Health Network