The John A. Hartford Foundation & Atlantic Philanthropies Award Over $2.3 Million to Nurse Scholars

This year, 13 pre-doctoral Scholars and 11 post-doctoral Fellows, were chosen through a national competition as part of the original John A. Hartford Foundation's initiative aimed at building academic geriatric nursing capacity in the field. In 2004, the Atlantic Philanthropies provided generous support to the BAGNC program allowing increased funding for postdoctoral fellowships. A third partner, The Mayday Fund contributes additional funds for those selected candidates whose research focus includes the study of pain in the elderly.

The 2005 Scholars and Fellows join 82 BAGNC colleagues selected since the program began in 2000, with 60 scholars successfully completing the two-year award program as of this year. To date the Hartford Foundation has invested more than $9.28 million in scholarships for nurses through this program

Program Director Claire M. Fagin, PhD, RN, FAAN, along with the advisory & selection committee, is delighted with the outstanding candidates selected this year. "This cohort provides further proof of the success of our program," Fagin said. "We identified a great many qualified candidates this year, and we continue to fulfill our mission of placing the best and the brightest nurses in the field of geriatrics."

The U.S. health care system serves a large and growing population of older adults. Today older adults represent the majority of primary care and home care visits, hospital admissions and long term care residents. Coupled with a well documented nursing shortage, the quality of care for these individuals faces an unequivocal and unacceptable threat.

The Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity program aims to reduce the disparity between society's need for a health system that can respond competently to increasing numbers of elders and the relatively small nursing workforce currently prepared to meet those demands.

2005 BAGNC Scholars and Fellows

By producing expert academicians, practitioners and researchers who will lead the field of geriatric nursing, BAGNC will ultimately improve the care of elders in our society. "As the next cohort begins in July 2005 the number of participants in our program will have grown to 106," Fagin said. "That's 106 more faculty who will be teaching the next cadre of nurses, and conducting ground-breaking research that will ultimately lead to the best care possible for older adults," Fagin said.

A recent independent evaluation of this program is available on-line at http://www.themeasurementgroup.com/jah/Reports.html.

We are pleased to present 2005 - 2007 Scholars & Fellows and their respective institutions of study:

The 2005 - 2007 Predoctoral scholarship recipients and the schools where they will study include:
	Jennifer Bellot, RN, MHSA, University of Pennsylvania, SON
	Nancy Benton, RN, MN, CS, Oregon Health & Science University, SON
	Linda Beuscher, MSN, RN, GNP, BC, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
	Colleen Casey, RN, BS, BA, Oregon Health & Science University, SON
	Mary Louise Fleming, MSN, RN, University of California, San Francisco
	Jennifer Merrilees, RN, MS, University of California, San Francisco
	Sadie Mitchell, RN, MSN, University of Pennsylvania, SON
	Ingrid Pretzer-Aboff, MA, RN, University of Maryland
	Kristen Swafford, RN, BS, BA, Oregon Health & Science University
	Sarah Szanton, RN, MSN, CRNP, Johns Hopkins University SON
	Michelle Umbarger, MSN, RN, University of Iowa College of Nursing
	Amy Vogelsmeier, MSN, RN, BC, BCNS, University of Missouri-Columbia, Sinclair SON
	Ronald Walent, MS, RN, CNS, BC, University of California, San Francisco
The 2005 - 2007 Postdoctoral Fellows who were selected include:
	Michele Balas, PhD, RN, MSN, CCRN, CRNP, BC, University of Pennsylvania, SON
	Margaret Crighton, PhD, MSN, RN, University of Pittsburgh, SON
	Tracie Culp-Harrison, PhD, RN, FNP, University of Texas at Austin
	Mary Dyck, PhD, RN, BC, LNHA, University of Missouri-Columbia, Sinclair SON
	Patricia Holkup, PhD, RN, Montana State University-Missoula Campus, SON
	Wen-Wen Li, RN,MS, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
	Sherry Pomeroy, PhD, RN, University of Buffalo, University of Maryland, SON
	Cynthia Russell, RN, PhD, University of Missouri-Columbia, Sinclair SON
	Anna Song Beeber, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
	Sunghee Tak, PhD, RN, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
	Christine Wanich Bradway, PhD, RN, University of Pennsylvania, SON

2005 BAGNC Scholars and Fellows

The John A. Hartford Foundation Trustees' recognition of the centrality of nurses to the care of older adults has led to a broadened effort, focusing on increasing academic capacity to enhance training, research and practice. Beginning in 1996 with the funding of the John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric Nursing, the Foundation has committed more than $36.5 million dollars to prepare gerontology nurse educators, researchers, practitioners and curriculum.

The Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity initiative funds five Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, established seven additional university based investment projects, and provides scholarships to build capacity in geriatric nursing education, leadership, research and best practice models.

For further information regarding the Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program and a PDF file of the 2006 Scholar & Fellow Applications, go to the Applications section of our site or contact Program Manager Patricia D. Franklin, MSN, RN, at (202) 682-2850 or pfranklin@aannet.org.

2004 Scholars

2003 Scholars

2002 Scholars

2001 Scholars