Louisiana Receives Grant
BATON ROUGE, LA, March 21, 2013 - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has announced that the Louisiana Action Coalition is one of only 20 states to be part of a new $3 million initiative, the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. The program is designed to help states prepare the nursing profession to address our nation’s most pressing health care challenges—access, quality, and cost.
The program bolsters efforts already underway in 50 states and the District of Columbia—the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action—to transform health care through nursing and meet the challenges stemming from an aging and more diverse population. A joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Campaign for Action is working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. The Campaign provides a voice and a vehicle for nurses at all levels to lead system change to improve care for patients and families by collaborating with business, consumer, and other health professional organizations.
“This grant is designed to spur progress in Louisiana, which already is doing impressive work to transform nursing education, practice, and leadership,” said Susan B. Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, RWJF senior adviser for nursing and director of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action. “The Foundation is committed to helping states build a more highly educated, diverse nursing workforce that will improve health outcomes for patients, families, and communities.”
The initiative will provide a $150,000 two-year grant to the Louisiana Action Coalition which is matched by a $150,000 grant from The Rapides Foundation, a health foundation based in Central Louisiana. Grants were announced 19 other states:
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming
“Our focus on meaningful outcomes that will truly transform health care in Louisiana was a key factor in being selected,” said Cynthia Bienemy, Louisiana Action Coalition, co-lead, and Executive Director of the Louisiana Center for Nursing. “We are part of a powerful movement working to shape the future of health care for all Americans. The Louisiana Action Coalition is grateful for this support, which will strengthen our work.”
Denise Bottcher, Louisiana Action Coalition co-lead and Communications Director of AARP Louisiana, noted that the Action Coalition plans to focus on advancing the capacity of Advanced-Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) to meet the health care needs of Louisiana residents, and collect and analyze health care workforce data to better inform policy makers about patients’ access to quality health care.
The Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA), an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, serves as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program.
“This new program will help Action Coalitions get the strategic and technical support required to advance their goals,” said Susan Reinhard, PhD, RN, FAAN, senior vice president of the AARP Public Policy Institute and CCNA chief strategist. “Our hope is that with this support Louisiana will be even more effective in improving health outcomes for patients, families, and communities.”
About the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action
Louisiana Action Coalition is part of the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, a joint initiative of AARP and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. The Campaign includes Action Coalitions in 50 states and the District of Columbia and a wide range of health care professionals, consumer advocates, policy-makers, and the business, academic, and philanthropic communities. The Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and RWJF, serves as the coordinating entity for the Campaign, as well as the national program office for the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program. Learn more at www.campaignforaction.org.
About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, measurable, and timely change. For 40 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. Follow the Foundation on Twitter (www.rwjf.org/twitter) or Facebook (www.rwjf.org/facebook).
About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment security and retirement planning. We advocate for consumers in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP VIVA, a bilingual news source. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org
