Good Samaritan has announced a multi-faceted partnership with Ivy Tech Community College in Evansville and Terre Haute. The partnership includes a $300,000 investment to help grow awareness of the healthcare programs offered at the two campuses, offer opportunities for Knox County residents to pursue careers in healthcare, and expand the community’s workforce pipeline in the healthcare field.
“I am thrilled to witness the powerful collaboration between Good Samaritan and Ivy Tech’s healthcare programs. This impactful gift signifies a shared commitment to addressing the pressing workforce needs in healthcare,” said Good Samaritan’s Chief Nursing Officer Rachel Spalding, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. “By joining forces, we are fostering a supportive relationship that will continue to allow Good Samaritan to carry out its mission.”
Good Samaritan has been a healthcare leader in southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois for more than 115 years. Based in Vincennes, the hospital serves six counties in Indiana and four counties in Illinois. The hospital’s partnership with Ivy Tech will allow facility enhancements, support initiatives aimed at supporting current healthcare students in their studies, and heighten the awareness of available education and career pathways. Together, these strategies will help address the labor shortage in the healthcare industry.
Labor market data from Emsi/Burning Glass estimates there is a gap of 1,350 nursing graduates to meet Indiana’s needs with current educational resources. Statewide, Ivy Tech awards more than 1,300 associate degrees to nursing students every year, more than any other institution in Indiana and the largest in the nation.
“Ivy Tech is the community’s workforce driver. If there is a gap in skilled workers, Ivy Tech will help fill it to ensure industries, like healthcare, are continuing to grow, new industries are attracted to our state, and our communities are thriving,” said Ivy Tech Terre Haute Chancellor Lea Anne Crooks, Ph.D. “This gift is the epitome of community partnerships.”
The $300,000 gift will support the School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences with a holistic approach to recruitment, retention, and completion in three ways.
School of Health Sciences Renovations
The gift will support renovations within the School of Health Sciences at both the Terre Haute and Evansville campuses. Updated facilities will continue Ivy Tech’s commitment to providing students with real-world environments that simulate the patient-care setting students will experience in their careers, providing a seamless transition from student to professional. Additionally, the renovations will enhance prospective students’ insight into future healthcare career possibilities.
Healthcare Workforce Pipeline Development
As part of the partnership, Ivy Tech will work to increase opportunities for students to earn a certificate in healthcare, like a certified nursing assistant or emergency medical technician certificate, before graduating high school.
“Working with high school students is essential, and will empower future nurses and other healthcare professionals with invaluable resources and support early on,” commented Leah Allman, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services at Ivy Tech Terre Haute. “Plus, it saves students and families thousands of dollars in tuition costs.”
School of Nursing Retention and Expansion
Known for its excellent, yet rigorous, nursing program, additional support to help nursing students persist in their coursework is made possible by this gift. Both campuses will also be able to expand enrollment capacity in the School of Nursing by increasing instruction space, hiring more instructors, or adding additional lab equipment.
A focused effort to attract individuals in Knox County, and in the region, to pursue an education and career in healthcare through Ivy Tech will directly impact Good Samaritan’s ability to increase the high level of care they already provide to the area. More than 90% of Ivy Tech graduates stay in Indiana for their careers, and nearly 85% stay in their region.
– Ivy Tech Evansville Chancellor Daniela Vidal
Good Samaritan plans for this partnership to result in more Ivy Tech graduates being employed at their facilities.
“We know Ivy Tech produces high-quality healthcare workers, as we have seen with a number of exceptional team members who are Ivy Tech alumni,” Spalding noted. “Our faith in Ivy Tech to be a leader in this area has only increased, and we are proud to come alongside them to shape the future of healthcare by investing in the development of a skilled and compassionate healthcare workforce."
Statewide, Ivy Tech is wrapping up a $285 million comprehensive campaign this summer, and gifts and partnerships like this one are making it a success. To learn more about the Invest IN Ivy Tech campaign, visit ivytech.edu/InvestINIvyTech.
Ivy Tech offers 10 healthcare programs at the Evansville and Terre Haute campuses, ranging from therapeutic massage to surgical technology and respiratory therapy to nursing. To learn more about the nursing and healthcare programs Ivy Tech offers visit ivytech.edu/programs. Classes start every August, October, January, March, and June. To get started visit ivytech.edu/apply.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
