To support efforts to combat health disparities, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has launched an ambitious campaign to raise and match $1 million to support health disparities research.
Pamela R. Jeffries, dean of the School of Nursing and Valère Potter Distinguished Professor, recently announced the school's Nursing Health Equity Fellowship Program; We set aside $1 million for health equity research in schools and asked VUSN supporters to make one-on-one philanthropic contributions to help fund this important research.
Through research, student clinical experiences, and faculty practice, VUSN has long addressed health inequities—the systemic variations that prevent certain communities from achieving optimal health. These inequities affect millions of people across the country, especially people of color, people with disabilities, individuals in the LGBTQ+ community, and people living in low-income and rural areas.
The school has increasingly focused on health equity in recent years. Recent efforts include building health equity education and working on a new Master of Nursing Registered Nurse program, providing COVID-19 vaccines to the uninsured through Vanderbilt's Mobile Vaccine Program, Inequality and Health This includes conducting interdisciplinary research within the Vanderbilt Research Center. This pioneering center was launched this fall in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences.
“For nurses to provide world-class support to patients, they must also address the broader contexts, contexts and injustices that underlie their care,” Jeffries said. “Today, I am launching this matching program to expand research on health equity and instill a lifelong passion for this issue in our talented faculty and students.”
Gifts made as part of the Match Program will fund faculty and student fellowships, as well as health benefits offered as part of Immersion Vanderbilt, a curriculum requirement for all undergraduate students that promotes experiential learning beyond the classroom. Equity programs will also be funded. These efforts will foster research across themes such as: How local drinking water and environmental factors influence children's cognitive development. Strategies for equitably and efficiently distributing preventive health resources to underserved populations. and other potential projects and applications.
The match will run until December 31st or until the match fund of $1 million is met. Qualifying gifts include his gift commitments of $100,000 or more, paid in one payment or promised in multiple scheduled payments.
In addition to directly supporting Vanderbilt's Health Equity Scholars, donations made to support the Health Equity Fellowship Program will build momentum for Vanderbilt's Dare to Grow campaign. The campaign is his $3.2 billion effort to fund Vanderbilt's most ambitious vision: to become the world's great university. 21st Century.
