Rockefeller, Manchin Announce Funding for West Virginia Caregivers and Nurses
WASHINGTON, D.C., - Senators Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin (both D - WV) today announced that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) awarded two new grants totaling $98,000 in West Virginia. The money will help expand membership at the Faith in Action National Network (FIANN) in Wheeling and assist the New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program’s efforts to address West Virginia’s nursing shortage.
“I am grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for doing so much to address health care issues across the country, and especially here in West Virginia,” said Rockefeller. “The money provided by these grants will enhance volunteer caregiving and provide some needed help for talented West Virginians to finish nursing school - this is great news for our state.”
“I commend the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for their continued dedication to keeping people healthy over the past 40 years,” Senator Manchin said. “I’m so pleased to see these grants support worthwhile efforts, whether it’s educating more people in the field of nursing or engaging faith communities in expanding care in their communities. There’s no question that nurses are on the frontlines of health care in our state, and that our churches do important outreach to folks who are homebound. These grants build on smart, existing partnerships and I’m glad for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s continued investment.”
Background:
Wheeling’s Faith in Action National Network (FIANN) will receive $48,000 to expand membership and provide additional services to the network's members. Faith in Action (FIA) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that brings volunteers of different faiths together to care for their homebound neighbors who may be isolated and living with chronic health conditions or disabilities. Enhanced member services will include technical assistance, website improvement, mentoring and conferences.
Morgantown-based ‘New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program’ will receive $50,000 to provide scholarships to non-nursing college graduates enrolled in accelerated baccalaureate and master's nursing programs. The scholarship program was designed to address the nursing shortage by funding scholarships in accelerated bachelor's degree programs at nursing schools, with preference given to schools that increase the number of students in these programs or increase enrollment and retention of disadvantaged or minority students. These fast-track programs allow talented individuals from other disciplines to enter the nursing profession by earning a nursing degree in 12 to 18 months.
Since the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation became a national philanthropy in 1972, it has awarded $27.17 million to 104 programs in West Virginia.
To learn more about the Foundation please visit www.rwjf.org.
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