PRESS RELEASE
IBC Foundation salutes nurses, nurse educators during National Nurses Week
Foundation focuses on strengthening nursing workforce through education, career development and research
Philadelphia, PA — May 9, 2014 — The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is proud to salute nurses and nurse educators for their hard work and vital contributions to the nation’s health during National Nurses Week May 6-12. In celebration, IBC Foundation president Lorina Marshall-Blake will be visiting with deans today from several Philadelphia area nursing schools and nurses working in community health centers to personally thank them for their efforts to strengthen the nursing workforce in our region. Ms. Marshall-Blake will be visiting:
- Jefferson School of Nursing
- Fairmount Primary Care Center
- Drexel College of Nursing and Health Professions
- Public Health Management Corporation
- Project HOME/St Elizabeth’s
- Penn School of Nursing
Since its founding in October 2011, the Independence Blue Cross (IBC) Foundation has committed nearly $5 million as part of its Nurses for Tomorrow initiative to nursing education through undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral scholarships as well as student nurse internships. By focusing on increasing the number of nurses pursuing faculty roles and clinical practice through these programs, the Foundation is helping to protect the future of health care, ensuring a pipeline of qualified nurses and nurse educators.
“Support for nursing is in the fabric of the Foundation. Since its inception, the IBC Foundation has understood the important role nurses play, not just within care delivery but also as part of our community’s overall wellness,” said Marshall-Blake. “We are excited to take this week, National Nurses Week, to honor and celebrate their contributions and will continue to do so each and every day throughout the year.”
This year, the IBC Foundation will provide $1 million in Nurses for Tomorrow grants to 22 area nursing programs, including Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions, Gwynedd-Mercy College’s Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and Villanova University College of Nursing. The IBC Foundation will also provide internships this summer for 22 undergraduate nursing students, who will spend 10 weeks working in a Foundation-supported community health center or providing health and wellness counseling at IBC. Most recently, the Foundation also began funding PhD fellowships through a partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future Nurse Scholars Program.
The growing need for qualified nurses is a result of several factors including an aging population, the millions of newly insured under the Affordable Care Act and the shortage of nurse educators.
About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is leading solutions for a healthier community. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:
- Securing the Blue Safety Net: Supporting private, nonprofit community health center clinics that provide access to quality, affordable healthcare in medically underserved areas.
- Bolstering the Health Care Workforce: Strengthening the nursing, primary care, and allied health workforce through education, career development, and research.
- Addressing Health Priorities: Collaborating with wellness partners to tackle the region’s most pressing health challenges; currently combating the obesity epidemic through the IBC Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative.
- Building healthy communities: Partnering with community leaders and programs to address community health and wellness needs.
Learn more by visiting our website: www.ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on Twitter at @ibxfdn.
Media Contact
Ruth Stoolman
Independence Blue Cross
ruth.stoolman@ibx.com
215-241-4807 (office)
215-280-3335 (cell)