The Health Sciences Academy is a unique learning opportunity housed within Mercy Hospital Springfield for 50 of Springfield Public Schools’ eighth-grade students. Students spend their year at Mercy in specially-designed, state-of-the-art-classroom facilities, using health care as the lens for problem-based learning. Students explore different careers, learn from professionals in the medical field, and implement projects to impact the health of our community.  Their school day starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m.