Beverly
Enterprises' $1 Million Grant to School of Nursing
for Geriatric Nurses
Beverly
Enterprises, Inc., and the School
of Nursing announced
last Thursday that Beverly will donate $1 million to
the school to establish the Penn-Beverly Partnership
Fund. The fund primarily will be used to create a scholarship
program for Penn nursing students. This program will
offer scholarship loans that may be forgiven if the
recipients complete a work commitment after they graduate.
"Quality
patient care at our nursing homes requires well-educated,
dedicated nurses who have specialized training in the
unique health care needs of the elderly," said William
R. Floyd, chairman, president and CEO of Beverly. "The
objective of our grant is to stimulate interest in
geriatric nursing and attract qualified clinicians
into long-term care," said Mr. Floyd, C '67, W '69.
The
Penn-Beverly Partnership, which will be funded over
a four-year period, also will include a strong mentoring
component in which Beverly nurses will team with Penn
students to facilitate the students' clinical work
at skilled nursing facilities. In future years, a peer
mentoring network among alumni of the program will
be developed to provide additional support to students
as they complete their studies and enter the workforce.
"We
are grateful for the generosity that Beverly has shown
with its gift, and we are delighted that students will
now have the opportunity to learn more about caring
for elderly people," said Dr. Afaf I. Meleis, Margaret
Bond Simon Dean of Nursing. "Our hope is that the Penn-Beverly
Partnership will encourage more of our students to
pursue a career in geriatric nursing."
Mr.
Floyd noted that Penn Nursing was selected as the recipient
of the Beverly grant because it is regarded as one
of the leading nursing schools in the country. The
gerontology specialty curriculum at the school is ranked
number one among all graduate schools in a survey conducted
by U.S. News & World Report. The school
also was selected because Beverly has a high concentration
of nursing homes in Pennsylvania. There are 45 Beverly
facilities in the state and 20 within a 100-mile radius
of Penn.
"This
partnership will have value to our entire organization," said
Mr. Floyd. "The activities being developed under the
Penn-Beverly Partnership include continuing education
programs that will give participants the opportunity
to upgrade their skills at Penn. The proximity of the
school to several of our facilities will make it easier
for us to capitalize on the partnership."
In
addition, the Partnership will enable Penn educators
and students to conduct "best practices" research at
Beverly facilities to study the latest innovations
in patient care.
"We
anticipate that the Penn-Beverly Partnership will result
in great benefit for all involved," said Dean Meleis.
Beverly
Enterprises, Inc. and its operating subsidiaries are
leading providers of healthcare services to the elderly
in the United States. They operate 372 skilled nursing
facilities, as well as 20 assisted living centers,
and 23 hospice and home care centers. Through AEGIS
Therapies, they also offer rehabilitative services
on a contract basis to nursing facilities operated
by other care providers.