|
Answering Community Needs Through Scholarships
(continued)
“It is a win-win program,” said Vernon DeSear, Executive Director of Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc. and Vice President of Manatee Memorial Hospital, a division of Universal Health Services Inc. “The locally
available programs through USF mean that our nurses have a convenient, cost effective way of earning higher educational degrees, which translates directly into a higher level of healthcare for our patients.”
The program also positions Manatee Memorial Hospital as a premier employer of USF nursing graduates.
“This type of partnership is beneficial. We can attract and keep more qualified nurses. Together, Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation and USF Sarasota-Manatee are meeting an important need of the community,” DeSear
said.
“It is essential that we have a pool of well-trained healthcare professionals. These are the nurses who will take care of you and your loved ones,” he noted. “There is a critical nationwide nursing shortage and Manatee
Memorial Hospital needs to provide our nursing professionals with educational opportunities for advancement. The USF programs can take our nurses
to another level of study and give them capabilities beyond the entry level by helping them earn their baccalaureate or master's degrees in nursing.
“The proximity of USF Sarasota-Manatee means
that our nurses can further their education and work at the same time. That is an important consideration for our staff,” DeSear added.
Another benefit of providing for educational advancement is that a highly qualified nursing staff attracts healthcare professionals to join the hospital staff.
“Anytime you have a core of well-trained, technologically advanced members of the staff, everyone benefits,” DeSear said.
Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation Inc. was formed in 1992. Funds generated by the hospital’s auxiliary activities provide the money for medical education scholarships.
Since 1994, the Foundation and Manatee Memorial Hospital have partnered with USF Sarasota-Manatee as sponsors of Brunch on the Bay, an event that funds scholarships for local USF Sarasota-Manatee students. A competitive
scholarship and financial aid program is required to build a top-notch university program, and the Foundation’s lead investment in our intellectual resources right here in our own community, provides access to higher education and keeps these
minds local to benefit this area.
The Manatee Memorial Hospital Foundation Nursing Scholarship significantly advances the awareness and practice of nursing .
The community, the hospital and USF Sarasota-Manatee are the beneficiaries of this forward thinking program to provide today for tomorrow’s healthcare needs.
|
