In every Indiana University Health care setting, you’ll find at least one nurse. In fact, one in four IU Heath team members is a nurse.

That’s 9,000 nurses dedicated to delivering the highest quality of care to patients — a level of care that is nurtured and elevated by donors who support the IU Health Nurse Excellence Fund.

Thanks to an initial gift from Michelle Janney, PhD, RN, IU Health executive vice president and chief operating officer, the fund was created to support The Center for Nursing Excellence — a workforce development hub that strives to advance nursing professionalism and nursing practice by investing in professional development and continuing education opportunities for IU Health nurses statewide.

Within the center, the fund also supports the Distinguished Nurse Excellence Program, which offers clinical nurses access to unique professional development and networking opportunities, as well as executive mentorships.

And now, thanks to another generous gift from Dr. Janney, The Center for Nursing Excellence is undergoing a major transformation that will generate more awareness of the center and expand programs specific to nurse leaders’ development.

“This gift is going to allow us to build the center to be bigger and better than it ever was before,” said Carrie Shipman, MSN, RN, IU Health director of Nursing Practice.

Shipman, who is part of The Center for Nursing Excellence advisory board and will have a hand in shaping the future of the center, says the return on investment for Dr. Janney’s gift will result in making IU Health a destination for the next generation of nurses.

“What the center is doing is growing our future leaders,” Shipman said, “Not only is her gift an investment in people, but also in finding new ways to deliver care. Both will help IU Health achieve its goal of making Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation.”

These types of investments continue to position IU Health as an industry leader and ensures the healthcare system achieves and maintains the gold standard recognitions for outstanding nursing practice and care delivery: the ANCC Magnet and Pathway to Excellence designations.

Equally as important, gifts like Dr. Janney’s benefit the entire IU Health system.

“When donors support nurses, they are supporting so much more than they may even realize,” said Shipman. “Because that support trickles down to not only patient satisfaction, but to things like quality metrics for patient safety, team member engagement and even community health. It impacts every aspect of healthcare.”

To support the expansion of The Center for Nursing Excellence, consider a gift to the Nurse Excellence Fund. Your gift can even be made in recognition of an IU Health nurse who has made a difference in your life or your loved one’s life.