Data from the , the , and the document the significant need for additional nurses in Kentucky. The School of Nursing鈥檚 ongoing commitment to increase access to quality nursing education across the commonwealth is helping to address local, state and regional health care workforce shortages.

鈥淥ur objective is to address the shortage of practice-ready registered nurses by increasing access to baccalaureate nursing education across Kentucky,鈥� said Whitney Nash, dean of UofL School of Nursing. 鈥淭his collaborative effort with health care partners will provide greater opportunity to recruit and train more nurses, and meet workforce needs in medically underserved areas of Kentucky.鈥�

The funding provides greater opportunities for students to obtain significant financial support, therefore reducing the amount students need to work while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The award also will help lessen student loan debt and provide students guaranteed employment upon graduation.

These dedicated HWIF scholarships, in addition to the school鈥檚 other academic scholarships, will increase the overall number of financially supported nursing students at UofL.

Research shows that an increased ratio of BSN-prepared nursing staff within a health care facility can lead to improved patient outcomes with regards to mortality, post-surgical complications, rapid response recognition, length of stay and readmissions.

With nine Kentucky counties in the UofL Health service area and 16 counties in the Owensboro Health service area, UofL BSN graduates employed by these health care partners can impact the health of Kentuckians in 21% of the commonwealth鈥檚 counties 鈥� the majority of which are designated rural and medically underserved areas.

鈥淭his grant and health care partnership make a BSN education more accessible and affordable for students, which is a true win-win for the community and the commonwealth,鈥� Nash said.听

Inspired by those who cared for her grandmother with dementia and a cousin with cystic fibrosis, the Owensboro native became a nurse, graduating in December from the .

At the senior awards ceremony prior to graduation, Wilhoite was surprised to find out she won the , which specifically honors program students for having 鈥渢he courage to be a servant-leader.鈥� Winners receive $5,000 and commit to working for one year at .

In keeping with the award, Wilhoite recently asked if she could return a portion of it for the benefit of other students.

鈥淚 want this award to reflect all of us, not just me,鈥� she said.

Amy Higdon, assistant dean of Owensboro BSN Programs and assistant professor in the School of Nursing, said the award is named after Vicki M. Stogsdill, the retired chief nursing officer of Owensboro Health.

鈥淪he always practiced servant-style leadership,鈥� Higdon said. 鈥淭he Owensboro faculty has the privilege of selecting the recipient of this award each semester and when considering which applicants embodied servant-style leadership, Maggie was a frontrunner.鈥�

Important components of the program are service learning projects throughout the Owensboro community and a senior project completed during the Global Public Health course. Wilhoite asked the $2,000 she returned be used to help with these projects.

鈥淪tudents can allocate the funds as they see fit, whether it be to enhance their project or donate to the community organization they collaborate with,鈥� said Wilhoite, who grew up on an Owensboro farm.

Wilhoite said she applied for the award 鈥渙n a whim,鈥� and was shocked when she won.听

鈥淭here are 14 members of my graduating cohort. Each of us brings something special to the table,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e survived nursing school during a historically adverse time in health care. We are entering the nursing profession during uncertain times. We have all exhibited resilience and compassion, which are necessary traits for nurses. Any one of us would be more than deserving of this award.鈥�

Because she graduated debt-free, she said, 鈥淚 would not feel right accepting a servant-leadership award and keeping it all for myself if I am not struggling financially.鈥�

Wilhoite said she told her mother she wanted to become a nurse in the third grade and she hopes to someday be able to use her skills on a medical mission trip. She credits her supportive family with helping her earn her degree.

鈥淚 want to be a part of something bigger than myself,鈥� she said.听

鈥淏y establishing a family residency program in Owensboro, we hope to improve the health of our region for years to come,鈥� said Greg Strahan, president and CEO of Owensboro Health. 鈥淭his program gives Owensboro Health a pivotal role in educating the next generation of physicians and will help meet an important need for more primary care in our area.鈥�

The three-year program is expected to open with a class of six resident physicians and admit an additional six physicians each year. Residents will undertake a robust curriculum of classroom studies and clinical rotations, working alongside expert instructors and practicing physicians from a variety of specialties. They also will provide primary care at Owensboro Health鈥檚 family medicine location on Parrish Avenue, which means expanded health care access for area patients.

鈥淧art of our vision for this program is that some physicians will want to continue practicing in Western Kentucky after they have completed their residency,鈥� said Steve Johnson, vice president of government and community affairs for Owensboro Health. 鈥淔or our system to be working toward that vision, with a valuable partner like UofL, is an exciting development for this region.鈥�

The agreement between the two health care systems establishes UofL School of Medicine as the program鈥檚 academic sponsor, a key step toward obtaining approval and accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical 成人直播. Under the affiliation agreement, UofL will provide a program director and faculty and also lend its expertise to help the program achieve and maintain accreditation.

鈥淯ofL has achieved success with its family medicine residency program in Glasgow, Ky., in terms of building relationships in the community and improving primary care,鈥� said Brent Wright, MD, UofL School of Medicine associate dean for rural health innovation, and vice chair for rural health and professor in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at UofL. 鈥淲e plan to achieve the same success in Owensboro.鈥�

Rural-based graduate medical education programs are important to physician distribution since physicians tend to practice within a 100-mile radius of where they did their residency training, Wright said.