WellStar Health System announced a $8.7 million donation to the Kennesaw State WellStar School of Nursing Friday, Feb. 14, in the Prillaman Health Sciences Building atrium.
KSU President Dr. Pamela Whitten was joined by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and WellStar CEO and President Candace Saunders in announcing the donation.
“We appreciate [WellStar’s] generosity, and we look forward to partnering with them to address this critical issue facing our state and country,” Whitten said.
The contribution made by WellStar will be used to hire new KSU nursing faculty and staff while providing annual scholarships over the next five years, Saunders said. WellStar’s donation comes at a time where Georgia is experiencing a shortage of nurses across the state.
“It is estimated that by 2030 Georgia will have the sixth-worst nursing shortfall in the country,” Saunders said. “Some analysts predict the shortfall will result in several thousand fewer nurses than can meet the healthcare need in Georgia.”
Over the next five years, KSU plans to increase enrollment in the School of Nursing by 20 percent annually in order to reach an enrollment of over 1,000 nursing students, Saunders said. KSU will also be hiring up to 32 faculty members and 20 staff positions to help facilitate and maintain the expansion of the program.
Kemp was at the meeting to celebrate the partnership between KSU and WellStar.
“Now, my goal is to keep those fantastic nursing students, as I said, here in the Peach State,” Kemp said. “I look forward to these nurses providing the best quality of care to Georgians that need it the most.”
Kemp also said that healthcare has been one of his top priorities since entering office.
“It’s a great time to be a Georgian right now,” Kemp said. “We appreciate what KSU does for this region of our state, and quite honestly, the state as a whole and I’m very proud of the University and WellStar and what you’ve been able to accomplish together in the past.”
Nursing students at KSU outperform national averages for first-attempt pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination, as 100 percent of KSU nursing students passed in January 2019, according to KSU News.
“We have very high standards at KSU,” Whitten said. “WellStar is truly an excellent partner for us.”
Saunders expressed her excitement for their contribution to the nursing program. KSU and WellStar share a 40-year history of collaboration, with the two officially partnering in 2003.
“Proactively working together to address the nursing shortage aligns with our vision of delivering world-class healthcare to every person, every time,” Saunders said, according to KSU News. “WellStar and KSU have a shared commitment to education and training nurses who provide high-quality, compassionate care for the people and committees we serve.”
For more information on the WellStar School of Nursing, visit its website at WellStarcollege.kennesaw.edu/nursing.
