This year, the Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) received a $2.8 million grant to aid them in a program where employed nurses serve rural and underprivileged areas. This program will give select nurses an opportunity of a lifetime thanks to the grant. 

“The purpose of this grant is to support academic clinical partnerships to educate and graduate primary care nurse practitioners who are prepared to practice in rural and underserved communities, thereby increasing access to primary care for these populations,” said Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Katherine Moran. 

The College of Nursing responded to this notice of a funding opportunity for a four-year Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant through the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) in January 2019. 

KCON collaborated with two health care systems, McLaren Health Care and Mercy Health Muskegon, in order to “identify clinical sites and preceptors to support 15 qualified students who will enroll in KCON’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program,” Moran said.

The education that will be provided for these students is a joint effort between KCON and their partners, emphasizing the integration of mental health care and the use of technology to introduce primary care in these settings. 

“Students will receive grant funds to support tuition, books and other educational expenses,” Moran said. “This funding will remove a significant barrier to their education.”

This ANEW grant is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of an award totaling $2,799,987 with 0 percent financed with non-governmental sources. 

Applications for this program were accepted through Aug. 5 from Mercy Health Muskegon and McLaren Health System employees in select locations. Interviews of candidates are underway. Admission decisions are anticipated by Aug. 19.