Independence Blue Cross Foundation awards $1.5 million to bolster region's nursing workforce

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 9, 2016 -- The Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) has committed over $1.5 million to fund undergraduate, graduate and doctoral nursing students at 21 schools in southeastern Pennsylvania. The investment is part of the Foundation's Nurses for Tomorrow initiative, which aims to strengthen the nursing workforce through education, career development, and research.

Since its inception in October 2011, the Foundation has invested more than $7 million in the program to advance the education and professional development of nurses and nurse leaders.

"The Foundation's commitment to the next generation of nurses is a reflection of the vital role nurses play in our community's overall health and wellness," Foundation President Lorina Marshall-Blake said. "As one of our largest initiatives, we hope to support aspiring nurses as they pursue the education and professional development they need for their careers and that further advance the delivery of healthcare."

In addition to the scholarships, the Foundation also supported a third cohort of nursing scholars in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholars program. A founding funder of the program, the Foundation committed $600,000 to eight students over three consecutive years to support transformational leadership in nursing through education, research, and policy.

As part of its Nurses for Tomorrow program, the Foundation also accepted 22 undergraduate nursing students in its 10-week summer internship program to explore nursing in a community health setting or in healthcare administration. The program's Leadership Labs, or professional development workshops, are aligned with the Competencies, Outcomes and Performance Assessment model, a leading industry best practice.

About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation:
The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is leading solutions for a healthier community. The Foundation targets the following areas of impact:

• Securing the Blue Safety Net: Achieving sustainability of the regional safety net by building capacity in health centers.
• Bolstering the Health Care Workforce: Advancing the education and professional development of nurses and nurse leaders.
• Addressing Health Priorities: Addressing national health trends locally through community-driven research.
• Building Healthy Communities: Driving wellness by targeting specific and diverse community health needs.

Learn more by visiting our website: www.ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on Twitter at @ibxfdn.

CONTACT: Ruth Stoolman
         Independence Blue Cross
         [email protected]
         215-241-4807 (office)
         215-667-9537 (cell)