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.
At the event, Foundation president Lorina Marshall-Blake announced new, additional funding for graduate and doctoral nursing students through the Foundation’s Nurses for Tomorrow program. The funding aims to strengthen a diverse pipeline of future nurse practitioners and educators and will support community-based research or special projects. The recipients of the grants will be announced early next year.
Marshall-Blake also introduced a new collaboration with Nurse.com, the leading source of continuing education for nurses, on a curriculum focused on the policy and practice of transitioning overdose survivors from the emergency room to detox, rehab or other recovery treatment, a process commonly referred to a “warm hand-off.”
Attendees also heard from Dr. Roberta Waite, professor and assistant dean of Academic and Community Integration at Drexel University, who spoke about the evolving role of nurses throughout the healthcare system, including in communities, education, public policy, and more.
The Foundation has provided support for nearly 3,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing student scholarships at more than 20 schools in the region. In addition, nearly 200 students have participated in the Foundation’s 10-week nursing internship program, which places students in one of two unique settings: community health centers supported by the Foundation’s Blue Safety Net grant program, or at Independence Blue Cross. The interns also have several opportunities to build professional competencies through Leadership Labs, research projects, and mentorship.
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: Improving access to quality, affordable health care in medically underserved areas.
- Bolstering the Health Care Workforce: Advancing the nursing workforce through education and professional development.
- Addressing Health Priorities: Finding local solutions to national health issues through research and cross-sector partnerships. Currently focusing on the opioid epidemic through the Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) initiative.
- Community Innovation: Supporting pilot projects that pursue new approaches to existing health-focused challenges in the community.
Learn more by visiting our website: www.ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on Twitter.
Media Contact:
Ruth Stoolman
Independence Blue Cross
Ruth.Stoolman@ibx.com
215-241-4807 (o)
215-667-9537 (c)
