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Good Samaritan has announced a multi-faceted partnership with ������Ƶ in Evansville and Terre Haute. The partnership includes a $300,000 investment to help grow awareness of the healthcare programs offered at the two campuses, offer opportunities for Knox County residents to pursue careers in healthcare, and expand the community’s workforce pipeline in the healthcare field.

“I am thrilled to witness the powerful collaboration between Good Samaritan and ������Ƶ’s healthcare programs. This impactful gift signifies a shared commitment to addressing the pressing workforce needs in healthcare,” said Good Samaritan’s Chief Nursing Officer Rachel Spalding, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. “By joining forces, we are fostering a supportive relationship that will continue to allow Good Samaritan to carry out its mission.”

Good Samaritan has been a healthcare leader in southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois for more than 115 years. Based in Vincennes, the hospital serves six counties in Indiana and four counties in Illinois. The hospital’s partnership with ������Ƶ will allow facility enhancements, support initiatives aimed at supporting current healthcare students in their studies, and heighten the awareness of available education and career pathways. Together, these strategies will help address the labor shortage in the healthcare industry.

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

“������Ƶ is the community’s workforce driver. If there is a gap in skilled workers, ������Ƶ will help fill it to ensure industries, like healthcare, are continuing to grow, new industries are attracted to our state, and our communities are thriving,” said ������Ƶ Terre Haute Chancellor Lea Anne Crooks, Ph.D. “This gift is the epitome of community partnerships.”

The $300,000 gift will support the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences with a holistic approach to recruitment, retention, and completion in three ways.

School of Health Sciences Renovations

The gift will support renovations within the School of Health Sciences at both the Terre Haute and Evansville campuses. Updated facilities will continue ������Ƶ’s commitment to providing students with real-world environments that simulate the patient-care setting students will experience in their careers, providing a seamless transition from student to professional. Additionally, the renovations will enhance prospective students’ insight into future healthcare career possibilities.

Healthcare Workforce Pipeline Development

As part of the partnership, ������Ƶ will work to increase opportunities for students to earn a certificate in healthcare, like a certified nursing assistant or emergency medical technician certificate, before graduating high school.

“Working with high school students is essential, and will empower future nurses and other healthcare professionals with invaluable resources and support early on,” commented Leah Allman, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services at ������Ƶ Terre Haute. “Plus, it saves students and families thousands of dollars in tuition costs.” 

School of Nursing Retention and Expansion

Known for its excellent, yet rigorous, nursing program, additional support to help nursing students persist in their coursework is made possible by this gift. Both campuses will also be able to expand enrollment capacity in the School of Nursing by increasing instruction space, hiring more instructors, or adding additional lab equipment.

Good Samaritan plans for this partnership to result in more ������Ƶ graduates being employed at their facilities.

“We know ������Ƶ produces high-quality healthcare workers, as we have seen with a number of exceptional team members who are ������Ƶ alumni,” Spalding noted. “Our faith in ������Ƶ to be a leader in this area has only increased, and we are proud to come alongside them to shape the future of healthcare by investing in the development of a skilled and compassionate healthcare workforce."

Statewide, ������Ƶ is wrapping up a $285 million comprehensive campaign this summer, and gifts and partnerships like this one are making it a success. To learn more about the Invest IN ������Ƶ campaign, visit .

������Ƶ offers 10 healthcare programs at the Evansville and Terre Haute campuses, ranging from therapeutic massage to surgical technology and respiratory therapy to nursing. To learn more about the nursing and healthcare programs ������Ƶ offers visit ivytech.edu/programs. Classes start every August, October, January, March, and June. To get started visit ivytech.edu/apply.