Last Updated on May 26, 2016 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — Community Howard Regional Health is partnering with Indiana University Kokomo to support a much-needed family nurse practitioner (FNP) track, donating $500,000 over the next five years to help fund this initiative.
The availability of the FNP track is necessary to meet the health care needs of the region, filling a void of primary care providers due to an increase in an aging population and those with access to health insurance.
“Since this region will be the epicenter of clinical practica for our FNP students, we believe graduates will be more likely to stay and practice here, providing greater access to healthcare for north central Indiana residents,” said Linda Wallace, dean of the School of Nursing. “We are grateful to Community Howard for providing us several clinical placements locally.”
The funding will cover costs of hiring a director of the FNP track – set to begin January 2017 – who will teach courses, develop curriculum and arrange clinical placements for FNP students. This will be part of the Master of Science in Nursing degree program at IU Kokomo – the only public university in this region with the capacity to offer the FNP to registered nurses.
“We are excited at Community Howard Regional Health to be partners in making this significant investment in the community as it will expand the region’s access to quality healthcare, while also creating career opportunities for local residents,” said Joe Hooper, president of Community Howard Regional Health. “This partnership furthers Community Howard’s commitment to providing access to exceptional care for our patients and to create career development opportunities in the region. Having this program available right here in Kokomo will make it much easier for area nursing professionals to advance their careers while juggling work, schooling and home life.”
Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke said the addition of the FNP track is part of the university’s mission to meet the needs of the region.
“This is another example of IU Kokomo responding to a call from the region to provide nurse professionals with the necessary education to advance health care to the communities we serve,” Sciame-Giesecke said. “Community Howard is helping to make this possible, and we are very appreciate of their partnership and commitment to our students and the citizens in the communities we serve.”
For more information about the FNP track, contact Mary Bourke, assistant dean of the M.S.N. program, at (765) 455-9326 or by e-mail.
This commitment counts toward the $2.5 billion campaign, “For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign.”
For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign is taking place on all IU-administered campuses including IU Bloomington, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. The campaign will conclude in December 2019 to coincide with IU’s bicentennial year celebration in 2020. To learn more about the campaign, its impact, and how to participate, please visit forall.iu.edu.
Founded in 1936, the Indiana University Foundation maximizes private support for Indiana University by fostering lifelong relationships with key stakeholders and providing advancement leadership and fundraising services for campuses and units across the university. Today, the IU Foundation oversees one of the largest public university endowments in the country, with a market value of approximately $1.9 billion. In fiscal year 2015, IU received $359.3 million in support from the private sector. IU is consistently ranked among the top four of Big Ten universities in annual voluntary support.
SOURCE: News release from Indiana University Kokomo