GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — BHSH System and Grand Valley State University have partnered to create a program to help address the talent shortage in nursing.
BHSH System (formerly Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health) and GVSU announced the creation of the BHSH Spectrum Health West Michigan Nurse Scholar program during a virtual press conference Tuesday morning.
According to the two institutions, the program will “increase the nursing talent pipeline by taking away financial barriers to college and smoothing the educational path to employment at BHSH Spectrum Health West Michigan.”
BHSH is investing more than $19 million to provide infrastructure, start-up costs and resources for increased clinical placements, training and other support for students in the program.
GVSU will increase infrastructure support for students in the areas of financial aid, curriculum enhancements, technology and equipment, student support services, simulation enhancements and clinical experiences.
According to BHSH System and GVSU, the partnership will allow for nearly 500 more students to pursue a career in nursing over the next six years.
“We challenged ourselves to be bold: What can we do, together with GVSU, to permanently increase access to education, strengthen nursing education programs and invest in talented, compassionate people who want to become nurses?” said Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of BHSH System. “Our teams delivered a joint, innovative proposal that expands opportunities for up to 500 future nurses and can be the model for others to emulate. We are incredibly excited about the nurse scholar program and the impact this will have in health care, for individual learners and for future generations.”
