COLUMBUS, Miss. -- Mississippi University for Women announced the
establishment of a partnership to address the critical shortage of nurses
in North Mississippi. This partnership between MUW, Baptist Memorial
Hospital-Golden Triangle and North Mississippi Medical Center will result
in the training of more nurses in North Mississippi.
The University began a series of conversations with BMH-GT and NMMC in
an effort to address shared needs. “MUW had qualified nursing students on
our waiting list because we did not have enough faculty. The hospitals
have serious need for nurses. The solution was collaboration between our
University and the hospitals," said Scott Rawles, the University’s vice
president of institutional advancement.
In a four year agreement, BMH-GT and NMMC have agreed to join together
in a partnership with The W and fund three nursing faculty positions with
gifts totaling $458,344.
Dean Griffin, administrator and CEO of BMH-GT, said, "With the critical
need for nurses, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle felt it was
very important to increase our support for the MUW nursing program. We
rely on the nurses trained at MUW, and we wanted to give back to this
program. Now, more area students will have the opportunity to study at
this well-respected institution."
Dr. Jeffrey Barber, president and chief executive officer of NMMC,
said, "Our donation to Mississippi University for Women to help fund
nursing instructors ensures that northeast Mississippi will continue to
have experienced nurses. This investment enables the college to better
recruit people into the nursing profession at a time when this area of
health care is experiencing a national shortage. Our partnership with
Mississippi University for Women will ensure a well-trained workforce that
can deliver high-quality, cost-efficient health care."
The agreement provides two new associate degree in nursing faculty
starting this August and one baccalaureate degree in nursing faculty
member starting in February 2004.
The goal is to produce more of the well-trained, well-qualified nurses
The W produces who can meet the need for nurses at the partners’
hospitals.
Mary Jo Kirkpatrick, interim Division of Nursing head, said, "The
funding of three faculty positions will allow the Division of Nursing to
increase the enrollment in the ASN Program by 20 students and the BSN
program by 10 students. This is a tremendous effort on the part of the
hospitals to partner with MUW in helping address the nursing shortage."
MUW's Division of Nursing serves about 250 students in three
distinguished programs of study leading to an associate, bachelor or
master of science in nursing degree. A majority of The W's nursing
graduates can be found in hospital, clinic and health care settings
throughout the state. For more information, call the Division of Nursing
at (662) 329-7299.
