Union Health Foundation Gives Gift to Ivy Tech
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Union Health Foundation has announced a gift of $1 million to Ivy Tech Community College Terre Haute to support its associate degrees in nursing. Ivy Tech says its the largest gift in the history of the campus and will allow for expanded enrollment capacity at its School of Nursing.
Ivy Tech says the funding will also support a pipeline for future healthcare professionals in the School of Health Sciences. Union Health Foundation Executive Director Joel Harbaugh says the foundation has invested nearly $4 million in healthcare workforce education since 1985.
“Scholarships for undergraduate and post graduate degrees, advanced training, certifications and continuing medical education all play a role to ensure our caregivers have the tools necessary to deliver quality care. This is an investment in our community, to help develop the workforce necessary to care for the Wabash Valley,” said Harbaugh.
Union Health currently employs more than 600 Ivy Tech graduates and has served as a clinical site for Ivy Tech Terre Haute students for more than 50 years.
“We want to continue to provide the best possible care to the people in this region. Employing the best healthcare professionals is how we achieve that,” said Steve Holman, president and chief executive officer for Union Health. “Ivy Tech Terre Haute produces some of the best healthcare and nursing graduates in the Wabash Valley, and they do it with top-rated two-year programs. This gift will enable more healthcare students to enter and complete the program, which allows us to maintain a strong workforce.”
Specifically the gift will fund the hiring of nursing faculty and will increase Ivy Tech Terre Haute’s nursing enrollment by at least 20 students. Ivy Tech Terre Haute Chancellor Lea Anne Crooks says community partners have long benefitted the college’s mission.
“Ivy Tech was created to support Indiana’s workforce needs. 85% of our graduates stay in West Central Indiana. By partnering with Union Health, we can produce more graduates who are highly skilled healthcare professionals ready for high-demand careers. This multifaceted gift from Union Health will create a lasting impact on our economy for generations to come,” said Crooks.