Pace University’s College of Health Professions has become the recipient of nearly $2 million in federal grant funding.
The funding is through a Nursing Workforce Diversity grant, which aims to increase representation, opportunities and retention for underrepresented groups in the profession, particularly for Black and Hispanic students.
It is funded through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its focus is to improve health care to those who are vulnerable due to existing medical problems, geographic isolation or lack of economic resources.
“I am so pleased to see this recognition of our longstanding commitment to diversity in both our student and faculty populations,” said Dr. Harriet R. Feldman, dean and professor at the College of Health Professions and the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University.
“In order to best reflect the populations we serve as nurses, we need a workforce of practitioners and educators from diverse backgrounds,” she added. “The HRSA Award will move us closer to our goal.”
The grant will be disbursed over the course of four years, and facilitated through an academic program, STEPS to Success, which is directed by Pace’s College of Health Professions and Lienhard School of Nursing.
“In general, schools of nursing are not educating and graduating nurses reflective of the ethnic and racial diversity of their home communities,” said Rhonda Maneval, senior associate dean at Pace University College of Health Professions and the Lienhard School of Nursing. “This lack of diversity results in health disparities that have significant impact on health outcomes of minority populations.
“The grant allows us to better ensure a pipeline of diverse nurses into our local communities,” Maneval said, adding that the grant “will also support our efforts to recruit and retain a more diverse nursing faculty.”
