Empowering Healthcare

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, New York’s largest grantmaking organization focused on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable communities, is premiering its new Nursing Initiative. It’s a grant program created to support safety net hospitals across the state that provide a significant amount of care to high-need populations. The selected hospitals can receive up to $5 million respectively to pursue the Magnet Recognition Program® or the Pathway to Excellence® program from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), as well as implement or expand virtual nursing and nurse residency programs.

The Nursing Initiative will support hospitals’ abilities to prevent nurse burnout, improve work culture and benefit patient care. The first-of-its-kind investment stems from the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to bolster the healthcare workforce across New York State.

“Patients and the overall health of our community can’t thrive without a strong healthcare workforce, and it is important that we start implementing concepts and solutions that can evolve over time to meet the unique needs of New York’s health systems,” says Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, Chief Executive Officer of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. “There is no one-size-fits-all strategy to solve the workforce issue, but philanthropic commitments like our Nursing Initiative are vital, as they recognize the direct connection between a healthy workforce and improving health outcomes that will reduce health disparities throughout New York State.”

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation developed the Nursing Initiative following the launch of its healthcare workforce report with the University of Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies. According to data referenced in the report, 15% of hospital patient care RNs between the ages of 20 and 39 reported plans to leave their current position within the next 12 months, underscoring the urgency of mitigating further declines. The study found that despite sizable investments committed to address healthcare workforce shortages, New York is still struggling to bolster its registered nursing workforce statewide.

“On behalf of the American Nurses Credentialing Center, we are very grateful for this new grant program sponsored by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation,” says Rebecca Graystone, PhD, MBA, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President of Accreditation & Organization Credentialing at ANCC. “Both Magnet Recognition^® and Pathway to Excellence^® designations are premier credentialing programs that recognize health systems demonstrating the highest standards of professionalism, safety, and investment in the nursing workforce, dramatically improving patient outcomes. The Magnet designation and the Pathway to Excellence designation mean the very best in care delivery by nurses who are supported to practice at their very best. Through the generous support of this grant, I am truly excited to see even more healthcare systems, particularly safety net organizations, have the opportunity to achieve this prestigious recognition.”

The new Nursing Initiative is designed to be adaptable, offering three areas of focused investment that will benefit patient care. Few hospitals that serve a high percentage of Medicaid-eligible patient populations have Magnet Status or Pathway to Excellence recognition. Awarded hospitals will be required to pursue one of the frameworks that address excellence in nursing and workplace environments. In addition, funding can support optional paths toward virtual nursing and nurse residency programs.

The Foundation encourages proposals from hospitals at any stage of their journey toward accreditation, whether they are just beginning to explore their options or already pursuing these esteemed designations. Grant recipients will be announced in 2025.

To learn more about the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet and Pathway to Excellence programs, visit nursingworld.org.