Daytona Beach, Fla. – Over $500,000 in donations were presented to the Bethune-Cookman College School of Nursing at a press conference held on campus today. The donations, $250,000 from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida and $150,000 from both Florida Hospital Memorial System and Halifax Medical Center are making it possible for B-CC to purchase a building that will serve as the new home for the School of Nursing. Donations were also made members of the Bethune-Cookman College Board of Trustees and college President Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed totaling $150,900.
“The donations made by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, Florida Hospital Memorial System and Halifax Medical Center along with the Trustees’ donations have had a monumental impact on our ability to purchase this building,” said Reed. “This venture exemplifies our commitment to civic engagement and social responsibility. With this new building we will be able to expand enrollment in the Nursing Program so that we can continue to do our part in educating qualified nurses to help reduce our local and state-wide nursing shortages.”
The property, located at 739 West International Speedway Boulevard, will feature eight high-tech “Smart” classrooms, a 300-seat lecture hall, a seminar room, two simulation labs, a skills lab, a computer lab, 16 offices and a nurse-managed health clinic.
The nurse-managed health clinic has been designed to address health disparities within the community.
“This addition to the nursing program will enhance the learning experiences of students as well as provide a valuable resource to people who are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases,” said Dr. Alma Dixon, Dean of the School of Nursing.
Senator Tony Hill and Representative Joyce Cusack were also in attendance at the press conference. Hill expressed his excitement over the nurse-managed clinic and how pleased he is that B-CC nursing students are being trained to serve at-risk communities and to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Cusack, who is a Registered Nurse, spoke about how she knows first-hand the affects of the nursing shortage and how important it is for B-CC to expand its program. Both Hill and Cusack applauded the School of Nursing for this undertaking and its continued commitment to the community.
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Founded in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune, a renowned educator and an advocate of civil and human rights, Bethune-Cookman University, today, continues its founder’s legacy of Faith, Scholarship and Service through its long-standing relationship with The United Methodist Church, its solid reputation for academic excellence, and its exemplary civic engagement initiatives. The University has a diverse and international faculty and student body of 3,111 (fall semester 2006).
Bethune-Cookman is a private, contemporary, career-oriented college that offers a state-of-the art master’s degree program in Transformative Leadership and baccalaureate degrees through six academic schools: Arts & Humanities, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, Engineering and Mathematics, and Social Sciences. A Freshman College program offers a new and unique introduction to the history and traditions of the college, as well as academic and behavior expectations.
Posted By: Kenyana Madison
Tuesday, July 22nd 2008 at 9:23AM
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