ARTICLE
188 Richards Avenue, Suite E311, Norwalk, CT 06854 | 203.857.7260 ncc-foundation.org | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Member Profile | Member Since 2019 The NCC Foundation is Building the Healthcare Pipeline with Scholarships: Announcing a Unique Partnership between Norwalk Community College Foundation and Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation To help alleviate the critical shortage of nurses affecting Fairfield County, Norwalk Community College’s (NCC) Nursing Program has partnered with local hospitals to offer graduating resident nurses a unique matching scholarship opportunity to work while earning their bachelor’s degrees. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Norwalk Community College’s Center for Science, Health, and Wellness (CSHW), the Norwalk Community College Foundation has partnered with the Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation to provide matching scholarship funds for nurses employed at the hospitals who are seeking to earn their bachelors degree. The generous matching funds from this unique partnership will help reduce the student debt burden of nurses who are working full-time while furthering their education. Norwalk Community College educates more nurses, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, and certified nurses’ aides than any other institution in Fairfield County. More than 2,300 NCC healthcare graduates have joined the ranks of local healthcare institutions serving residents throughout Fairfield County and beyond from one of the six programs housed in the Center for Science, Health, and Wellness at NCC. Of these, more than 60% were first-time college students, more than half were students of color, and nearly 70% were women. In this exciting new partnership with Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation, each foundation will contribute matching scholarship funds to NCC nursing graduates upon employment by the hospitals so they can pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. With this significant and innovative commitment, the partners demonstrate their dedication to excellence and the goal of supporting local nurses who seek to continue their education and graduate debt-free. Norwalk Community College nursing students, grads, teachers and officials gather following a news conference Tuesday on Campus. From Left to Right: Sal Mancino, VP Human Resources, Stamford Health; Ellen Komar, Senior VP of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Stamford Health; Dr. John Maduko, President, CT State Community College; Cheryl De Vonish, CEO, NCC; Peter Cordeau, President, Norwalk Hospital; Carrie Bernier, President & CEO, NCC Foundation. The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected healthcare workers and resulted in a shortage of nurses across the country, and Fairfield County is no exception. The hospitals are eager to hire Norwalk Community College students, many of whom have already been trained in clinical placements onsite at the hospitals. “Providing opportunities for nurses in our community through this partnership with NCC is an incredible win, for Norwalk Hospital and the patients we care for every day,” said Peter Cordeau, President of Norwalk Hospital. “The nurses graduating from NCC’s program are compassionate, bright, and deeply invested in providing our patients with the best healthcare possible. Norwalk Hospital and the Nuvance Foundation are proud to support these nurses in their professional and educational journey, and we are grateful for the impact they have on our community.” Ellen Komar, MPA BSN RN NEA-BC, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Stamford Health agrees, adding that “Stamford Health is proud of our long-standing, strategic relationship with NCC. In part due to the pandemic, the healthcare industry at large is currently facing a labor shortage. Our strategic partnership with NCC is important to keep our talent pipeline full. Attracting the next generation of healthcare workers is critical so we can continue to provide our patients with expert, compassionate care.” This initiative only strengthens the substantial partnership between NCC and local healthcare institutions in Fairfield County. During the pandemic, NCC responded to the great need for adequate personal protective equipment by loaning out three ventilators to area hospitals, along with 15,000 medical gloves, 919 masks, and 130 gowns. Today, with the critical shortage of health workers, the CSHW is addressing the need by establishing these strategic partnerships to ensure that students who are well trained to work in local hospitals and medical facilities are hired and supported in their careers. Carrie Bernier, President and CEO of the NCC Foundation, remarked that “the Foundation is excited to advance our mission to support NCC students by forging these agreements with such esteemed partners as Nuvance Health and Stamford Health. The benefits of this arrangement will help students financially and will ultimately reach every person in Fairfield County at some point in their lives since strong nursing is the backbone of high-quality healthcare systems.” As NCC celebrates sixty years of academic excellence and ten years of state-of-the-art instruction in NCC’s Center for Science, Health and Wellness, the larger community has benefitted from access to high-quality educational offerings with an affordable, accessible campus for residents to enjoy. To learn more about the Center for Science, Health, and Wellness at Norwalk Community College, please contact the Foundation at 203.857.7260, by email at nccfoundation@norwalk.edu, and at www.ncc-foundation.org.
188 Richards Avenue, Suite E311, Norwalk, CT 06854 | 203.857.7260 ncc-foundation.org | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Member Profile | Member Since 2019
The NCC Foundation is Building the Healthcare Pipeline with Scholarships: Announcing a Unique Partnership between Norwalk Community College Foundation and Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation
To help alleviate the critical shortage of nurses affecting Fairfield County, Norwalk Community College’s (NCC) Nursing Program has partnered with local hospitals to offer graduating resident nurses a unique matching scholarship opportunity to work while earning their bachelor’s degrees. In honor of the 10th anniversary of Norwalk Community College’s Center for Science, Health, and Wellness (CSHW), the Norwalk Community College Foundation has partnered with the Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation to provide matching scholarship funds for nurses employed at the hospitals who are seeking to earn their bachelors degree. The generous matching funds from this unique partnership will help reduce the student debt burden of nurses who are working full-time while furthering their education. Norwalk Community College educates more nurses, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, and certified nurses’ aides than any other institution in Fairfield County. More than 2,300 NCC healthcare graduates have joined the ranks of local healthcare institutions serving residents throughout Fairfield County and beyond from one of the six programs housed in the Center for Science, Health, and Wellness at NCC. Of these, more than 60% were first-time college students, more than half were students of color, and nearly 70% were women. In this exciting new partnership with Norwalk Hospital/Nuvance Foundation and Stamford Health/Stamford Hospital Foundation, each foundation will contribute matching scholarship funds to NCC nursing graduates upon employment by the hospitals so they can pursue their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. With this significant and innovative commitment, the partners demonstrate their dedication to excellence and the goal of supporting local nurses who seek to continue their education and graduate debt-free.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected healthcare workers and resulted in a shortage of nurses across the country, and Fairfield County is no exception. The hospitals are eager to hire Norwalk Community College students, many of whom have already been trained in clinical placements onsite at the hospitals. “Providing opportunities for nurses in our community through this partnership with NCC is an incredible win, for Norwalk Hospital and the patients we care for every day,” said Peter Cordeau, President of Norwalk Hospital. “The nurses graduating from NCC’s program are compassionate, bright, and deeply invested in providing our patients with the best healthcare possible. Norwalk Hospital and the Nuvance Foundation are proud to support these nurses in their professional and educational journey, and we are grateful for the impact they have on our community.” Ellen Komar, MPA BSN RN NEA-BC, Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Stamford Health agrees, adding that “Stamford Health is proud of our long-standing, strategic relationship with NCC. In part due to the pandemic, the healthcare industry at large is currently facing a labor shortage. Our strategic partnership with NCC is important to keep our talent pipeline full. Attracting the next generation of healthcare workers is critical so we can continue to provide our patients with expert, compassionate care.” This initiative only strengthens the substantial partnership between NCC and local healthcare institutions in Fairfield County. During the pandemic, NCC responded to the great need for adequate personal protective equipment by loaning out three ventilators to area hospitals, along with 15,000 medical gloves, 919 masks, and 130 gowns. Today, with the critical shortage of health workers, the CSHW is addressing the need by establishing these strategic partnerships to ensure that students who are well trained to work in local hospitals and medical facilities are hired and supported in their careers. Carrie Bernier, President and CEO of the NCC Foundation, remarked that “the Foundation is excited to advance our mission to support NCC students by forging these agreements with such esteemed partners as Nuvance Health and Stamford Health. The benefits of this arrangement will help students financially and will ultimately reach every person in Fairfield County at some point in their lives since strong nursing is the backbone of high-quality healthcare systems.” As NCC celebrates sixty years of academic excellence and ten years of state-of-the-art instruction in NCC’s Center for Science, Health and Wellness, the larger community has benefitted from access to high-quality educational offerings with an affordable, accessible campus for residents to enjoy. To learn more about the Center for Science, Health, and Wellness at Norwalk Community College, please contact the Foundation at 203.857.7260, by email at nccfoundation@norwalk.edu, and at www.ncc-foundation.org.