MHA Announces Tufts Health Plan Nurse Scholarship Awardees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       CONTACT:  Clare Densmore, MHA
January 06, 2009                                                                                             (781) 262-6031

                                                                                                                             Patti Embry-Tautenhan, THP
                                                                                                                             (617) 972-1090

The Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA), in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (MDHE), today announced the second round of recipients of Tufts Health Plan's Nurse Scholarship Awards. The $10,000 scholarships are granted to clinical nurses in doctoral nursing programs within the University of Massachusetts system, and work to address the nursing shortage by focusing on the state's capacity to educate new nurses.

MHA awarded four scholarships to Ph.D. nursing candidates committed to teaching nursing in Massachusetts. The awardees and their hometowns are:

• Maryellen Brisbois, Douglas, Mass.;
• Janet Lusk, Reading, Mass.;
• Cynthia Callahan-Stewart, Spencer, Mass.;
• S. Allison Bernard, Natick, Mass..

Unless immediate action is taken, the combination of an aging workforce, a generation of nursing faculty approaching retirement, and the increasing health care demands of baby boomers is expected to soon place burdens on the health care delivery system that far exceed the supply of available nurses.  According to a 2005 MDHE survey, the most effective strategy for addressing the growing nursing shortage is to expand the number of nursing faculty available to teach. To meet this need for nurse educators, Tufts Health Plan developed the Nurse Scholars Program in collaboration with MHA and MDHE.

MHA’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Karen Nelson, R.N., co-chaired the award selection committee with Anne Marie Boursiquot King, director of grants of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation, and Erin Mawn (MDHE). Mawn said, “The workforce pipeline is jammed at the education level with nursing schools flooded by applications, but not enough nursing faculty to meet the demand.” “This pilot program will help put both nursing educators and students into classrooms, increase the workforce, and ensure enough nurses are at the bedside,” Nelson said.

James Roosevelt, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Tufts Health Plan, believes that investing in nursing education is one way that the health plan demonstrates its commitment to quality health care. “It is well-documented that the shortage of qualified nurses constitutes a health care crisis. All of us are patients at one time or another and will be affected by this problem, so Tufts Health Plan is glad to partner with like-minded organizations that are seeking solutions. We believe that providing scholarships to nurse educators is one solution, and we are pleased to congratulate the scholarship awardees,” he said.

Reaffirming its commitment to this successful partnership, Tufts Health Plan Foundation will provide $250,000 for another round of nursing scholarships for 2009. MHA and MDHE, in collaboration with the Tufts Health Plan Foundation submitted a preliminary proposal to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for the Partners in Nursing (PIN) grant, and were invited to submit a full application in December. If awarded the PIN grant, RWJF would match the Tufts Health Plan Foundation’s $250,000 for the program, providing additional scholarship opportunities and advancing the current collaborative efforts of the DHE Nursing Initiative to other New England states. Qualified scholarship applicants would include master degree as well as doctoral degree students.

About MHA: The Massachusetts Hospital Association is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization comprised of hospitals and health systems, related organizations, and other members with a common interest in promoting the health of the people of the Commonwealth. Through leadership in public advocacy, education, and information, MHA represents and advocates for the collective interests of its member hospitals and health systems, and supports their efforts to provide high quality, cost effective, and accessible care.  

About Tufts Health Plan: Tufts Health Plan is nationally recognized for its commitment to providing innovative, high-quality health care coverage and supports its members and employers with an array of physician-led health management programs.  These programs use evidence-based medicine to design coverage that supports proven approaches to providing care and improving quality.  Tufts Health Plan’s HMO/ POS products have been ranked number 2 in the country among commercial plans by NCQA and U.S. News & World Report consecutively in America’s Best Health Plans 2006, 2007 and 2008-09.  (America’s Best Health Plans 2006, America’s Best Health Plans 2007 and America’s Best Health Plans 2008-09 are registered trademarks of U.S. News & World Report). More information about the organization and the PPO product that is offered in Rhode Island, can be found on its Web site www.tuftshealthplan.

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MHA Announces Tufts Health Plan Nurse Scholarship Awardees (Microsoft Word Document)