RICHLAND, Wash. – Representatives from Washington State University Tri-Cities and Kadlec Regional Medical Center today announced a landmark $18 million gift to support the WSU Tri-Cities College of Nursing. It is the largest single gift in WSU Tri-Cities history.
“A gift of this magnitude will truly transform our ability to advance the health of Washingtonians by expanding access to health care,” said WSU President Elson S. Floyd. “We sincerely thank Kadlec Regional Medical Center for their generous investment in Washington State University and the communities it serves.”
Kadlec’s commitment creates five new endowed faculty positions on the WSU Tri-Cities campus. The Kadlec Distinguished Chairs will allow WSU Tri-Cities to recruit doctoral-prepared faculty with the expertise necessary to meet the region’s need for preparing Nurse Practitioners. The goal is to increase the number of those earning the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or DNP, throughout the region.
“We are excited to help WSU create a DNP program on the Tri-Cities campus. These endowed positions will help attract world-class instructors to our community and ensure a first-class program for years to come,” said Rand Wortman, CEO of Kadlec Regional Medical Center. “The nurse practitioners who graduate from the program will not only be a tremendous benefit to Kadlec, but to other healthcare organizations around the northwest. We greatly value our relationship with WSU and look forward to a productive partnership.”
“We are thrilled to embark on a new era for how healthcare needs are addressed in the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Walla Walla, and surrounding communities,” said WSU Tri-Cities Chancellor Keith Moo-Young. “This remarkable gift from Kadlec will help WSU Tri-Cities become a national leader in nursing education and practice, and represents a generous commitment to improve access to quality healthcare throughout our region.”
“Once in a blue moon a gift can transform the health of an entire community. Kadlec Regional Medical Center’s generous gift does just that,” said Patricia Butterfield, dean of WSU’s College of Nursing. “The family and psychiatric nurse practitioners we educate will work collaboratively with physicians and other clinicians to strengthen healthcare throughout Central Washington. The Kadlec gift will also open doors for graduate students and strengthen doctoral education. It is a visionary gift.”
Kadlec has had a long-standing commitment to enhance and bolster the healthcare workforce in the Tri-Cities community and region. In 2012, Kadlec committed more than 12,000 square feet of space in Richland to the university along with $250,000 in equipment to create a state-of-the art home for WSU Tri-Cities’ nursing education program. Kadlec has also provided scholarship support for nursing students over the years.
Kadlec’s gift will be counted toward The Campaign for Washington State University: Because the World Needs Big Ideas, which will continue through June 30, 2015 to benefit WSU’s students, faculty, research and extension programs, and to leverage the university’s impact across the state, nation, and world.
For more about WSU Tri-Cities, go to http://tricity.wsu.edu.
For more about the Kadlec Regional Medical Center, go to http://www.kadlec.org.
For more about WSU College of Nursing, go to http://www.nursing.wsu.edu.
Contact:
Jeffrey Dennison, director of Marketing and Communications, WSU Tri-Cities, 509-372-7319, Jeffrey.dennison@tricity.wsu.edu
Ken Fincher, assistant vice chancellor of Development and Community Engagement, WSU Tri-Cities, 509-372-7398, ken.fincher@tricity.wsu.edu
Alli Benjamin, Communications Director, WSU College of Nursing, 509-324-7340, alli.benjamin@wsu.edu