Charleston, SC – Catherine Durham, Dean of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Nursing, has been selected to be part of the inaugural launch of the Academic Nursing Innovation Fellows (ANI Fellows) program, a collaborative initiative of the Bedford Falls Foundation and the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation. This pilot program is designed to advance innovation and drive system-level changes in nursing education.
The ANI Fellows program brings together visionary academic nursing leaders from ten institutions to develop, implement, and study curricular innovations that will better prepare nursing graduates for practice while helping reduce early-career workforce attrition.
The inaugural cohort represents a deliberate cross-section of nursing education across the United States. The inaugural cohort includes leaders from Barnes Jewish College, Belmont University, Creighton University, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, Morgan State University, Ohio State University, University of Florida, University of San Francisco, and Yale University.
"The future of healthcare depends on preparing the best nurses who will be entering the workforce with the tools they need to succeed," said Bill Conway. "The ANI Fellows program will create an opportunity for thought leaders across the nursing field to rethink how we educate, support, and prepare the next generation of nurses. We are truly grateful to partner with the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation on this important collaboration to strengthen innovation in nursing education."
"Patients, families, and entire communities benefit when nurses enter practice ready for the realities of care," said Elisabeth DeLuca. "The ANI Fellows program gives nursing leaders the room to test bold ideas, learn from one another, and share what works. The strongest solutions for nursing education come from the people closest to the work, and we're proud to partner with the Bedford Falls Foundation to bring those ideas to life."
“The future of healthcare depends on nurses who are prepared to lead, innovate, and thrive in complex care environments,” said Catherine Durham, dean of the MUSC College of Nursing. “I am excited to join this distinguished cohort to explore bold educational solutions that will shape the future of nursing.”
The fellows will convene for their inaugural planning meeting this August at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.
About Bedford Falls Foundation
The Bedford Falls Foundation, a private foundation, and Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF, a donor advised fund advised by the foundation, were each established by Bill Conway Jr., co-founder and co-chairman of the global investment firm the Carlyle Group, and his late wife Joanne Barkett Conway. The shared mission of their nursing philanthropy is to remove financial barriers to a high-quality nursing education and to support educational partners in addressing the critical nursing workforce shortage. In addition to nursing, the Foundation also supports health and human service initiatives in Washington, D.C. and Nashua, NH, which provides pathway opportunities aimed at strengthening community well-being and access to care for our most vulnerable populations.
To learn more about Bedford Falls and the areas that it supports, please visit www.bedfordfallsfoundation.org.
About the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation
The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation invests in nurses and allied health professionals so they can advance their careers and deliver skillful, compassionate care every day. The Foundation funds scholarships that open the path into the field, connect classroom training to real clinical practice, and build pathways into leadership for the professionals who will shape the future of care.
Learn more at www.delucafdn.org.
