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Union Health Foundation has announced a transformational gift of $1 million to ������Ƶ Terre Haute, the state’s No. 1-ranked program for associate degrees in nursing. The gift, the largest in campus history, will allow ������Ƶ Terre Haute to expand its School of Nursing enrollment capacity. Additionally, the gift will provide support to the School of Health Sciences in developing a robust pipeline for future health care professionals.

“Since 1985, Union Health Foundation has invested nearly $4,000,000 in the education of our health care workforce,” said Foundation Executive Director Joel Harbaugh. “Scholarships for undergraduate and post graduate degrees, advanced training, certifications and continuing medical education all play a role to ensure our caregivers have the tools necessary to deliver quality care. This is an investment in our community, to help develop the workforce necessary to care for the Wabash Valley.”

Union Health currently employs more than 600 ������Ƶ graduates, which is equal to nearly 20% of their total staff. Union Health has served as a clinical site for ������Ƶ Terre Haute students for over 50 years. Those clinical experiences create an ideal pathway to full-time employment for graduates, but there is still a significant gap in skilled workers and workforce needs both locally and statewide.

“We want to continue to provide the best possible care to the people in this region. Employing the best health care professionals is how we achieve that,” said Steve Holman, president and chief executive officer for Union Health. “������Ƶ Terre Haute produces some of the best health care and nursing graduates in the Wabash Valley, and they do it with top-rated two-year programs. This gift will enable more health care students to enter and complete the program, which allows us to maintain a strong workforce.”

This gift from Union Health Foundation will fund hiring nursing faculty and will allow ������Ƶ Terre Haute to increase nursing enrollment locally by at least 20 students. ������Ƶ Terre Haute Chancellor Dr. Lea Anne Crooks emphasized the benefit of community partners to support ������Ƶ’s mission.

“������Ƶ was created to support Indiana’s workforce needs. 85% of our graduates stay in West Central Indiana. By partnering with Union Health, we can produce more graduates who are highly skilled health care professionals ready for high-demand careers. This multifaceted gift from Union Health will create a lasting impact on our economy for generations to come.”

Labor market data from Emsi/Burning Glass estimates there is a gap of 1,350 nursing graduates to meet Indiana’s need with current educational resources. Statewide, ������Ƶ currently graduates more than 1,300 associate-degree nursing students every year, more than any other institution in Indiana and the largest in the nation.

“������Ƶ is the state’s workforce engine. Partnerships like these with employers in the communities make our state stronger,” ������Ƶ President Sue Ellspermann said. “Nursing Indiana back to health will require partnership like these across Indiana. We are all in this together.”

The $1 million gift will support the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences with a holistic approach to recruitment, retention, and completion in the following ways:

Support the Health Care Pipeline

Support for a comprehensive renovation project within the School of Health Sciences will create modern classrooms and labs. These renovations will allow for opportunities to create simulated experiences in the patient care setting, enabling a seamless transition from ������Ƶ Terre Haute to the workforce.

Aid in Retention and Completion within the School of Nursing

Each year, ������Ƶ Terre Haute accepts around 180 total students into the School of Nursing. Retention of these students and their successful completion is the quickest way to see growth in the available nursing workforce. Retention and completion efforts will include an expansion of nursing tutoring programs and financial aid for 100 graduating students annually to participate in credentialing test preparation courses. 

In addition, Union Health’s gift will create 10 merit-based scholarships awarding $3,000 to students who have successfully completed their first semester. The scholarships would be awarded at $1,000 per semester for their remaining three semesters in the program, beginning in the fall of the 2022-23 academic year.

Expand Enrollment in the School of Nursing

To expand the number of incoming students in the School of Nursing and continue to meet accreditation standards, additional faculty support is required. With the support from Union Health, the School of Nursing will be able to add faculty and increase the annual enrollment by at least 20 students, bringing the annual total enrollment to 200 or more.

������Ƶ Terre Haute has strategic efforts outlined to further expand the School of Nursing at both the Terre Haute and Greencastle campuses and renovate the School of Health Sciences in Terre Haute to meet local demand. The additional plans will require investments of nearly $2 million and is part of ������Ƶ Terre Haute’s comprehensive campaign. With the gift from Union Health, ������Ƶ Terre Haute has raised $9.1 million of its $12 million goal. Statewide, ������Ƶ has been developing a plan for increasing nursing enrollment that includes investments in equipment, supplies, and faculty, as well as tools to better support nursing students in their academic success. ������Ƶ estimates those statewide investments will require $8.7 million in recurring costs over three years as well as $12.1 million in one-time costs.