WellSpan Health has received a $1.5 million donation that will provide a boost to nursing opportunities in the region.
The funds “will help establish a center to serve as the framework for selecting and testing innovative care delivery models which will ultimately help address the nursing workforce challenges facing the industry,” according to a Dec. 18 release from Ryan Coyle, WellSpan’s senior manager for media relations. “The center will offer opportunities for nursing leadership to explore and develop best practices, nurse recruitment strategies and retention, and leadership and management programs.”
The proposed Jeanne Donlevy Arnold Center for Nursing Innovation will be named for a former WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital team member and community leader, according to the release.
“Jeanne has a deep passion for the nursing profession, and she understands the importance of innovating in nursing care delivery across the country and right here at home,” Patty Donley, vice president for WellSpan Health and president for WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, said in a statement. “This center will bring together all facets of research and education to develop innovative solutions that support our nurses who are the heart and soul of the care we provide here at WellSpan. She is a pillar in this community and this donation enshrines her legacy.”
Arnold said in the release that she “just can’t give up having a foot in the nursing world because nursing is embedded in my heart. I may not be able to take on patient assignments anymore, but I can lend, be creative and get things done in a small community to make a difference again.
“It has been 25 years since I’ve cared for a patient, but we love this community and giving back is one way we can still help patients find the best care right here in Lebanon,” Arnold added.
The aging population of the United States has led to recent nursing workforce challenges,” the release explained. “WellSpan has been intentional about reimagining the profession, leveraging technology and innovative tools such as virtual nursing options in certain situations. This approach frees up bedside nurses to spend more time on direct patient care, while streamlining other processes and duties.”
The proposed center of nursing innovation will focus on professional development and recognition, including mentorships and coaching; innovation and research, involving academic partnerships and research fellowships; and clinical practice, which will include evidence-based practice to improve patient care, as well as advanced delivery models of care.
“Jeanne and her husband Ed Arnold have deep roots in the community and their philanthropic spirit has helped organizations across the Lebanon Valley over the past two decades,” Coyle noted in the release. “The Arnolds have aimed most of their charitable donations toward supporting health and wellness programs, including gifts to support programs at WellSpan Philhaven.”
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