July 13, 2004, ST. LOUIS – By the year 2010, it is predicted the nursing shortage will reach critical proportions, and the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation wants to ensure that Barnes-Jewish Hospital will be able to meet this challenge.

Each year the Foundation awards scholarships to nursing students at the Barnes College of Nursing and Health Studies and the Jewish Hospital College of Nursing and Allied Health. Since 2000, the Foundation has disbursed more than $1.5 million in scholarships to 556 students.

"A great number of the nurses on staff at Barnes-Jewish are graduates of Barnes College of Nursing and Jewish Hospital College of Nursing," says Foundation Vice President W. Frank Elston, CFRE, FAHP. "By providing scholarships to deserving students, we are ensuring the future quality of patient care at the hospital."

For the 2003-2004 academic year, $187,900 was awarded to Barnes College students, an increase of more than $30,000 from the previous school year. Jewish Hospital College scholarships totaled $158,379 – a $20,000 jump from the 2002-2003 school year. These funds assist students with their tuition and book fees. Without it, many scholarship recipients say they could not afford to study nursing.

Teresa Pauk is a prime example. The 42-year-old Barnes College of Nursing student was awarded $1,800 per semester from Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation during the 2003-2004 school year. "Nursing school is really expensive so there''s never enough money," says Pauk. "It was really helpful to get that money, especially with the responsibility of family. It''s much appreciated."

Lucille Lombardi Travis, PhD, RN, CNA, the new dean of the Barnes College of Nursing and Health Studies, stated she is pleased to see the strong scholarship support that exists between Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the College of Nursing. "A variety of students benefit from the scholarship awards," says Dr. Travis. "For example, the basic baccalaureate program students include entering freshmen, returning students, and new transfers in the accelerated program. The opportunity to encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to pursue nursing is enhanced by the scholarship availability."

"The Jewish Hospital College of Nursing is involved in a significant strategic planning effort with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and BJC leadership to enhance efforts to attract more leadership to the nursing and allied health professions," says Roger Lanier, PhD, president, Jewish Hospital College. "While innovative approaches will definitely result from these efforts, sufficient scholarships will remain a critical need for the foreseeable future."

There are 103 funds at Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation that support Barnes College of Nursing and Jewish Hospital College of Nursing. If you would like to make a contribution, contact the Foundation office at (314) 286-0600.

Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation provides financial support to help Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University Medical Center fulfill its purpose. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a 1,385-bed teaching hospital, is consistently listed among America''s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.