National grant awarded to help establish a stable, adequate nursing workforce in the Quad Cities area.

The Quad Cities has been chosen as one of 10 locations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN) a unique national initiative to help address the long-term shortage of nurses across the country. To help develop solutions and lead efforts within the Quad Cities area, the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has been awarded a two-year grant of $150,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation. The grant has been matched dollar for dollar by local project partners.

Local project partners include the Community Foundation, Genesis Health System, Trinity Health Systems, Quad City Health Initiative, Community Health Care, Inc., Scott County Health Department, Rock Island Health Department, Community Health Care, Inc., Area Health Education Center, St. Ambrose University, Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, Trinity College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Eastern Iowa Community College District, University of Illinois-Chicago, United Township Area Career Center and the Davenport School District.

The primary project objective is to increase the number of nursing students that local nursing programs can educate each year by developing new clinical training sites and engaging new clinical site instructors among local practicing nurses. Clinical sites provide ‘hands on’ learning opportunities for nursing students to develop and enhance their skills. The project will develop a wider range of clinical site experiences, which will both increase the number of students who can be accepted by the programs and enhance the quality of their education.

“Our partnership’s strength is a common vision for advancing excellence in nursing education in our region,” said Matt Mendenhall, director of regional programs at the Community Foundation and PIN project administrator. “We envision the development of new clinical preceptorship opportunities in public health, industrial health, school health, and other community-based sites. Our plan will broaden clinical education opportunities so that students gain a wider range of experiences.”

Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future is led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Northwest Health Foundation. The program is in its fourth year providing $10 million in support to communities to act as catalysts and develop strategies for creating and sustaining a viable nursing workforce. Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future has leveraged more than $8 million in local and regional funding, ensuring the long-term sustainability of projects.

During the program’s first three years, 69 partners in 24 states and the territories of the Western Pacific established more than 300 local partnerships among nursing organizations, funders and workforce development boards to address the nursing shortage.

For more information, please call 563-326-2840.

Established in 1964, the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend is the region’s leading resource for information about charitable giving and community needs. We encourage and participate in meaningful dialogue on issues affecting the greater Quad Cities and work with individuals, families and nonprofit organizations to develop creative solutions to meet present and emerging needs. We take pride in preserving and carrying out the legacies of our family of donors. Currently, the Community Foundation administers more than 520 charitable funds and hold assets of $50.1 million

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime.

Founded in 1997, the Northwest Health Foundation is an independent, charitable foundation committed to advancing, supporting, and promoting the health of the people of Oregon and southwest Washington. Embracing its role as the community’s partner for better health, the Foundation achieves its mission primarily through grantmaking and support for advocacy efforts that influence public policy. See www.nwhf.org.