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Last Updated: Sep 14, 2010 - 10:50:22 AM |
[Arcata, CA.] Humboldt Area Foundation (HAF) announced today that it has been chosen as one of nine foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing's Future (PIN) a unique national initiative to help find innovative ways to create an adequate nursing workforce appropriate in size and equipped with the specific skills necessary to meet the changing demands of the 21st century patient population The program provides assistance to local and regional philanthropies to act as catalysts in their own communities and develop strategies for creating and sustaining a viable nursing workforce.
Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation, PIN is in its fifth year of providing support to local foundations, including HAF, and aims to discover models that work and can be replicated nationally. HAF forged local partnerships with College of the Redwoods, Humboldt State University, St. Joseph’s Health Care System, Mad River Hospital, North Coast Emergency Services, and Humboldt County Public Health Department to tackle nursing workforce issues specific to the North Coast region. HAF has been awarded a two-year grant of $250,000 to address nursing education redesign, human patient simulation, and quality safety education in nursing through the Humboldt Bay Regional Simulation Center. The grant will be matched by $250,000 in local and regional funding from the local Headwaters Fund, Mel & Grace McLean Foundation, Union Labor and the Humboldt-Del Norte Medical Society, signifying the importance of nursing to the health of the larger community.
Kathleen Moxon, Director of Community Strategies at HAF, explained that while the overall number of nurses nationwide is increasing, the supply side does not address the unique needs of our area. She further stated,''We need collaborative, innovative solutions that will educate existing and future nurses to meet the demands of the complex 21st century health care needs of our rural North Coast communities.''
''We are excited about the opportunity to gain national perspective on our local nursing education issues,'' said Dr. Pat Girczyc, Dean of Health Occupations & Public Service at College of the Redwoods. ''Partners Investing in Nursing's Future recognizes the unique nature of the collaborative efforts between nurses representing local public and private healthcare organizations and nursing faculty from CR and HSU. Without our funding partners this project would never have been realized,'' she added.
The 2010 grant cycle marks the final competitive cycle of this $12 million investment by PIN which has funded partnerships of up to $250,000 each. During the program’s first four years, 88 foundation partners in 32 states established more than 300 local partnerships among nursing organizations, private and public funders and workforce development boards to address the nursing and nurse faculty shortage. The new partners will bring the total number of private philanthropic organizations contributing to the solutions to nearly 100, and expands the number of states represented to 37.
''We know that the overall number of nurses in the U.S. is growing, but there are many issues that need to be addressed in order to create the nursing workforce we need for the future,'' said Judith Woodruff, J.D., director of workforce development at the Northwest Health Foundation and program director for Partners Investing in Nursing's Future. ''Investment by local philanthropy is essential for communities to come together to deal with challenges unique to their region or state.''
For more information about Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future, visit www.partnersinnursing.org.
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful, and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. www.rwjf.org.
Founded in 1997, Northwest Health Foundation is a nonprofit foundation that seeks to advance, support, and promote the health of the people of Oregon and southwest Washington. We achieve our mission through a variety of means, including grantmaking, technical assistance and training, convening, commissioning research, and supporting policy advocacy. See www.nwhf.org.
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