(Left to right) Eileen Whalen, president and COO of the UVM Medical Center; Don Baker, market president of KeyBank in Vermont; Mary Val Palumbo, associate professor at the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Patty Prelock, dean of the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences; Kate FitzPatrick, chief nursing officer at the UVM Medical Center; Dr. John Brumsted, president and CEO of the UVM Health Network; Brigitte Ritchie, director of Community Relations at KeyBank; Kevin McAteer, chief development officer at the UVM Medical Center Foundation.
Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Medical Center and The University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences today received a total of $175,000 from the KeyBank Foundation to strengthen the nursing profession and support construction of a new inpatient bed facility. The College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) will receive $75,000 to match a grant from the AARP/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Future for Nursing: Campaign for Action.” These funds will help spur an increase in the number of nurses who pursue baccalaureate degrees in Vermont, implement a program to educate nurse practitioners about establishing their own practices, and increase educational opportunities for “New Americans” interested in nursing and health careers.
The remaining $100,000 donated by the KeyBank Foundation will help fund The University of Vermont Medical Center’s planned 128-bed inpatient facility which is designed to increase the number of single patient rooms from 30% to 90%. Private rooms have been shown to enhance quality of care, improve the healing environment and provide more room for families, all of which aligns with the Medical Center’s focus on providing patient-and family-centered care.
“More and more, health care organizations are relying on private donations to support needed advancements,” said Eileen Whalen, MHA, RN, president and chief operating officer of the UVM Medical Center. “That’s why we’re especially grateful to the KeyBank Foundation for such a generous donation which will support meaningful improvements that touch on our dual missions of education and patient care.”
“This funding will make a real impact on our ability to provide the well-trained nurses and other health professionals that the people of our region need,” said Patty Prelock, Ph.D., dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “The KeyBank Foundation deserves great credit for understanding that educational programs need to adjust to new realities in this ever-changing health care environment.”
“KeyBank has been a proud partner of University of Vermont Medical Center for more than fifty years and we’re pleased to continue our support with these major gifts to the “Future of Nursing: State Implementation Program” and the planned single-bed facility,” said Don Baker, Market President of KeyBank in Vermont.“Supporting nurses with opportunities to advance their careers is a particularly important priority for us. As a company that is committed to helping our communities thrive, we’re excited to make these investments in improving patient care for all of our friends and neighbors in Vermont,” he added.
The KeyBank Foundation, a 46-year-old nonprofit charitable foundation funded by KeyCorp, makes philanthropic investments in organizations and programs that build thriving communities. The Foundation’s funding priorities are fostering thriving students, through grants to academic programs, and fostering a thriving workforce, through grants made to workforce development and job creation programs. The Foundation also supports thriving communities through service, including employee volunteerism, contributions to the civic good, and charitable sponsorships. All grant-making takes into consideration how grantees and programming incorporate the values of diversity and inclusion. For each of the past eight years, KeyBank Foundation has given approximately $18 million to nonprofit organizations across the nation, in the form of philanthropy, corporate contributions, and volunteerism.
The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at The University of Vermont currently serves 900 undergraduate and 217 graduate students in its mission to improve health and wellness through education, service, and research. CNHS is dedicated to meeting society's need for well-prepared, interdisciplinary health care professionals who are ready to join the workforce and to bring value to the work of other team members, ultimately improving patients' and clients' outcomes.
The University of Vermont Medical Center is a 447 bed regional referral center providing advanced care to approximately 1 million residents in Vermont and northern New York. Together with our partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, we are Vermont’s academic medical center. The University of Vermont Medical Center is a member of The University of Vermont Health Network, a four hospital system established to deliver high quality academic medicine to every community we serve. The University of Vermont Medical Center also serves as a community hospital for approximately 150,000 residents in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. For more information visit www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenter or visit our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blog sites at http://www.UVMHealth.org/MedCenterSocialMedia
Artist rendering of UVMMC inpatient facility.
Source: UVM. 1.18.2016