Monticello Live

The University of Arkansas at Monticello School of Nursing secured a $150,000 grant from the Blue & You Foundation, which will be presented at an event Friday on the UAM campus. The grant was one of 40 selected across the state out of more than 260 applicants. “Our grants this year went to programs across the state that address issues and needs that organizations have identified as important to their communities. These include physical and mental health programs for all ages, opportunities to participate in exercise and good nutrition, and building the future medical workforce that will care for all of our citizens,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation.

The award enables UAM to enhance the nursing simulation laboratory, an essential part of the nursing curriculum, according to Dr. Brandy Haley, dean of nursing. “In a state where there is often a nurse shortage, our faculty strive to continue our history of graduating extremely well-prepared and successful nurses. A large part of that preparation includes offering our students high quality equipment for practical hands-on training,” she said. Specifically, funds will enhance the lab by adding simulation equipment, laboratory furnishings, manikins and first-aid responder training equipment. Haley praised faculty members Karen Hyatt and Sharon Walters for being instrumental in securing the $150,000 grant. “Their dedication to nursing education has been made even more evident by their impressive ability to increase the resources available to our students,” Haley said. “I am grateful to work with faculty who are able to offer so much to the future nurses of our state.”

In addition to educating UAM students, simulation equipment on campus can be used for community education, when instructors in the Nursing faculty offer trainings on effective use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), Stop the Bleed kits, and first aid/CPR certification.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield established the Blue & You Foundation in 2001 as a charitable foundation to promote better health in Arkansas. The Blue & You Foundation awards grants annually to non-profit or governmental organizations and programs that positively affect the health of Arkansans. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $36 million to 1,922 health improvement programs in Arkansas, located in 248 communities and in every county in the state. This funding cycle awards total $3,467,872. The UAM nursing program received the largest amount available for an individual grant.

The grant presentation will be held at noon on January 17 at the UAM Fine Arts Center Spencer Gallery and will include representatives from the Blue & You Foundation and the university. A small reception will follow. The event is open to the public.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 16th, 2020 at 12:43 am and is filed under UAM News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.