(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Ivy Tech Community College is a finalist in the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Award of Excellence, the nation's leading community college advocacy group representing more than 1,000 institutions and nearly 12 million students. Selected as a candidate. .
Ivy Tech was recognized in the “Outstanding University/Corporate Partnership” category for its work with the Indiana Hospital Association and IU Health System to address Indiana's critical nursing workforce shortage.
AACC will announce the recipient of this award at its annual conference gala on April 8 in Louisville, Kentucky.
“Ivy Tech's size and statewide reach allows our agency to play a critical role in solving Indiana's most pressing economic and workforce challenges. Addressing the state's nursing shortage. There is no more pressing challenge than responding to the pandemic,” said President Dr. Sue Elsperman. , Ivy Tech Community College. “Thanks to our wonderful partnerships with Indiana hospitals, hundreds more skilled nurses work in Indiana hospitals and healthcare settings each year. This partnership has been recognized nationally by the American Association of Community Colleges. We are excited about that.”
Dennis Murphy, IU Health President and CEO “We have trusted Ivy Tech to provide high quality nursing talent to our workforce.” Jason Gilbert, executive vice president and chief nursing officer at IU Health, said in a letter of support. “Indiana is projected to need 5,000 additional nurses by 2031 to meet the growing health care demands of an aging population. have not been able to meet this challenge, and our collaboration in Indiana serves as a national model for community colleges looking to partner with health care providers to address the critical nursing workforce shortage. I believe it should be.”
Ivy Tech is Indiana's largest public institution of higher education and the nation's top producer of associate-level nurses. One in three registered nurses in Indiana earned a degree from Ivy Tech.
In 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivy Tech enrolled more than 300 qualified students in nursing care, in part due to State Board of Nursing regulations applicable to post-secondary institutions. forced to be removed from the program. Ivy Tech and IU Health joined a statewide coalition convened by IHA and worked with the Indiana General Assembly to pass House Registration Act 1003. The bill would give Ivy Tech more flexibility in managing its nursing program and expand the number of students it serves.
“When the nursing shortage reached critical levels, Ivy Tech was on the ground leading an actionable plan to address the state's workforce challenges,” said Brian Taber, president of the Indiana Hospital Association. He did it,” he said. “Ivy Tech has rapidly expanded our ability to work with hospitals to expand the pipeline of highly skilled nurses in communities large and small across the state. We are truly committed to 'Rebuilding Indiana Back to Health' by ensuring that Americans have the nurses they need to care for them for years to come.”
IU Health will hire additional adjunct nursing faculty, tutors, and retention staff to ensure alignment of curriculum and instruction and connect students with career opportunities at Indiana's largest and most comprehensive health care institution. Awarded $8.75 million in grants to Ivy Tech. Many are employed by IU Health. system. To date, 29 faculty positions and 15 tutor and retention specialist positions at Ivy Tech have been filled by her IU Health staff.
In 2023, the Indiana General Assembly appropriated $9 million annually in the 2023-2025 biennium budget to support the expansion of Ivy Tech's nursing program. Ivy Tech will use the funds to cover expenses such as instructor salaries, educational materials, and healthcare training equipment, as well as support services to improve nursing retention and help students prepare for the Nursing Licensing Examination (NCLEX). ing.
Although expansion efforts are still in the early stages, Ivy Tech is expected to add 766 new seats to its nursing program, an increase of more than 800 seats by summer 2024. 90.55% in 2023, an increase of 7.3% from the previous year, demonstrating Ivy Tech's ability to expand its nursing programs without sacrificing quality.
“Ivy Tech would like to thank the Indiana State Legislature, the Indiana Hospital Association, IU Health, and other healthcare partners across the state for trusting our facilities to address Indiana's nursing workforce crisis. “We are doing that,” Elsperman said. “The early results of our nursing expansion efforts demonstrate the quality of Ivy Tech education and our ability to make an incredible impact on the lives of our state and Hoosiers.”
After graduation, more than 90% of Ivy Tech nursing students work in Indiana hospitals or hospitals serving Indiana residents, and within 12 months of graduation, 60% of students earn a bachelor's degree in nursing or another medical field. They answered that they are aiming to obtain qualifications. field.
(Ivy Tech Community College Press Release)
