Coming Full Circle: From Student Scholar to Founding a Nursing Program

Dr. Louise Fitzpatrick and Jennifer Specht
Jennifer Specht, PhD, RN pictured here with the late Dr. Louise Fitzpatrick, former Dean of Villanova University’s College of Nursing, now the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing. A defining moment in my career came in 2007 when I was a doctoral student at Villanova University. I received a Nurse Scholar Award from Independence Blue Cross (Independence)....
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Independence Blue Cross Foundation announces more than $3.2M in grants supporting community health centers, addressing the opioid epidemic, and community innovation

Philadelphia, PA — December 16, 2019 — The Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) today announced more than $3.2 million in grants through the following Foundation programs: Blue Safety Net, Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP), Community Innovation, and Nurses for Tomorrow. Grants awarded will provide operational support to build health center capacity, assist individuals struggling with opioid use disorder,...
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Independence Blue Cross Foundation celebrates summer nurse interns

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) hosted a recognition event on August 2 to conclude its 15th annual nursing internship program. This year, 25 undergraduate nursing students from eight schools across the region participated in the internship. They spent 10 weeks this summer working at Independence Blue Cross or at a community health center supported by the Foundation’s Blue Safety Net grant program....
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How My Independence Blue Cross Foundation Nursing Internship Prepared Me for My Pediatric Rotation Abroad

Adanna in Italy during her pediatric rotation abroad
Adanna Chukwu in Italy during her pediatric rotation abroad In 2019, as a junior nursing student at La Salle University, I was given the opportunity to participate in a pediatric rotation abroad. I was excited to use my clinical skills and practice the cultural competency skills I learned during my previous summer as an Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) nurse intern at Chespenn Health Services....
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Foundation hosts award-winning filmmaker to discuss diversity in nursing

Foundation president Lorina Marshall-Blake (right) with filmmaker Carolyn Jones
Foundation president Lorina Marshall-Blake (right) with filmmaker Carolyn Jones The Independence Blue Cross Foundation funded four seminars hosted by the Barbara Bates Center for the Study of the History of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. The support was part of the Foundation’s commitment to a culturally competent and diverse nursing workforce....
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The Independence Blue Cross Foundation welcomes its summer nurse interns

A group photo of the 2019 nursing interns
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) welcomed its summer nursing internship class on June 3. Through the program, 25 undergraduate nursing students from eight nursing schools across the region will participate in a 10-week internship learning the unique roles nurses play at Independence Blue Cross or at a community health center supported by the Foundation’s Blue Safety Net grant program....
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Independence Blue Cross Foundation Celebrates National Nurses Week

Highlighting its long-term support, the Foundation announces new grants and continuing education opportunities

Since 2004, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) and Independence Blue Cross have invested $20 million to help advance the education and professional development of nurses and nurse leaders. In recognition of National Nurses Week (May 6-12), the Foundation hosted area nursing professionals today at a celebratory event at Independence LIVE....
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Lessons from an Internship: How an Independence Blue Cross Foundation Internship Helped Me Launch a Health Initiative in Sierra Leone

Maila Turay signing the visitor log at Port Loko Government Hospital alongside Head Matron Kumba In 2017, as a sophomore nursing student at Temple University, I landed my first nursing job as a summer “extern” at the Independence Blue Cross Foundation. I was excited to gain the inpatient clinical skills that are the foundation of a long and fruitful career in nursing....
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Meet the Final Cohort of Future of Nursing Scholars

Photos of Jacqueline Bannon and Susan Moyer
Future of Nursing Scholars Jacqueline Bannon (Left) and Susan Moyer (right) As the inaugural funder of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Future of Nursing Scholars Program, the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) awarded $600,000 to support the education of eight scholars pursuing a Ph.D. in Nursing. Ph.D.-prepared nurses play an important role in transforming the delivery of health care through their research,...
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Lorina Marshall-Blake delivers keynote address at Penn State Abington Commencement

.” Lorina Marshall-Blake serves as the keynote speaker for the Penn State Abington Commencement
“Never doubt your own role, and the power you have to make a difference.” Lorina Marshall-Blake serves as the keynote speaker for the Penn State Abington Commencement. Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation), served as the keynote speaker for the Penn State Abington Summer/Fall Commencement on Friday, December 14,...
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