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Grant Helps Lead Efforts to Transform Health Care through Nursing.
The Virginia Action Coalition will be part of the $4.5 million Future of Nursing State Implementation Program, according to a recent announcement from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) . The program is helping states prepare the nursing profession to address our nation’s most pressing health care challenges—access, quality, and cost. RWJF announced that 10 states are joining the program, which launched with 20 states in February.
The State Implementation Program bolsters efforts already underway in 50 states and the District of Columbia—the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action—to improve health and health care through nursing. A joint initiative of AARP and RWJF, the initiative is working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. It provides a vehicle for nurses at all levels to lead system change to improve care for patients and families through collaboration with business, consumer, and other health professional organizations.
“We are confident that this grant will help spur progress in Virginia which already is doing notable work to transform nursing practice, education, and leadership,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF senior adviser for nursing and director of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. “The Foundation is committed to helping states build a more highly educated, diverse nursing workforce so that everyone in America can live a healthier life, supported by a system in which nurses are essential partners in providing care and promoting health.”
The State Implementation Program is providing two-year grants of up to $150,000 to a total of 30 state-based Action Coalitions that have developed or made substantial progress toward implementing the IOM recommendations. States must obtain matching funds to receive the grant. The Virginia Nurses Foundation matched the RWJF grant with support from the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners and AARP Virginia. In addition to Virginia, grants were announced in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, South Carolina and Vermont.
The 20 states that received grants in February are Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
“The diverse leadership of our Action Coalition and our focus on meaningful outcomes that improve care were key factors in Virginia being selected,” said Dr. Shirley Gibson, Virginia Action Coalition co-lead and associate vice president of nursing, VCU Health System, “We are part of a powerful movement that is improving health care for all Americans. The Virginia Action Coalition is grateful to RWJF for this support, which will strengthen our work immeasurably.”
Dr. Gibson noted that the Virginia Action Coalition plans to focus on education progression, interprofessional team education and diversity.
The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, serves as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program.
“This new program will help Action Coalitions get the strategic and technical support required to advance their goals,” said Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior vice president of the AARP Public Policy Institute and chief strategist at CCNA. “Our hope is that with this support, Virginia will be even more effective in improving health outcomes for patients, families, and communities.”
About the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action
Virginia Action Coalition is part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. The Campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia and a wide range of health care professionals, consumer advocates, policy-makers, and the business, academic, and philanthropic communities. The Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and RWJF, serves as the coordinating entity for the Campaign, as well as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. Learn more at www.campaignforaction.org . Follow the Campaign for Action on Twitter at @Campaign4Action and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CampaignForAction .
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For more than 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org . Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook .
About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org ; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org .
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