Aimed to help hire faculty and staff for FSU nursing program
Mon Health Foundation said Thursday it invested $400,000 in Fairmont State University’s nursing program so the university will be able to hire more faculty and staff for the department.
“It’s all about keeping people close to home,” said David Goldberg, president and CEO of Mon Health System.
Combined with a $200,000 gift Mon Health Foundation made in May 2019, and the value of student scholarships and clinical oversight time committed through the recently announced Mon Health Scholars Program, Mon Health has invested nearly $1 million in developing nursing students at Fairmont State.
The university said Mon Health’s investments have enabled it to increase enrollment in its nursing program by 23% from last year.
“This fall, we admitted 32 students for the hybrid weekend program,” said School of Nursing Dean Laura Clayton.
The country, as a whole, is faced with a nursing shortage, as is north-central West Virginia. In addition to its financial contributions, Mon Health and Fairmont State recently joined forces on F2M, a partnership that gives nursing students scholarships and the promise of employment at Mon Health once they complete their degrees. The scholarships include financial support that can include tuition, textbooks and academic fees.
Under the F2M program, nursing students will earn their degree at Fairmont State and fulfill the majority of their clinical rotations within Mon Health System.
“While these investments will allow the university to grow its nursing program and provide well-trained, thoughtful nurses to the local and regional medical community, it’s also an investment in Marion County and the region,” said Julie Cryser, president of the Fairmont State Foundation.
Said Mirta Martin, president of Fairmont State, in a statement: “This is an extraordinarily generous series of gifts that has had and will have immeasurable impact not only on our academic programs, but also on the region, as well, as our students graduate and transform the health care in our communities.”
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