To address workforce shortages, reduce clinician burnout and improve patient care, the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation of New York City is awarding $51 million to 13 hospitals in New York state that serve vulnerable populations.
The foundation's Nursing Initiative is granting between $1 million and $5 million per recipient over a five-year period. Grantees will use the funds to pursue the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Pathway to Excellence or its Magnet recognition, establish nurse residency programs to ease new nurses' transitions into the profession, and implement new virtual nursing systems. The credentialing center's Pathway to Excellence recognizes facilities that enhance the nursing environment in specific ways, and the Magnet program honors facilities that make changes that result in measurable improvements in patient care metrics.
Two CHA members are among the grant recipients. Calvary Hospital in the Bronx received $5 million, and St. Mary's Healthcare in Amsterdam received $3.2 million.
In a press release, Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, CEO of Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, said that nurses are the backbone of patient care, and "by supporting nurses, we are investing in better patient care and outcomes." The foundation estimates that the Nursing Initiative will support more than 6,500 nurses statewide.
In a press release, the foundation said it developed the Nursing Initiative in part to in response to findings of the Center for Health Workforce Studies in Albany. That organization said in a report that persistent nurse shortages are due in large part to inadequate preparation of new nurses, unsupportive work environments, workplace violence, burnout, generational differences in career expectations, and an experience gap between newer and older nurses. The report said that about 15% of hospital patient care nurses ages 20-39 plan to leave their positions within the next year.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization established in 2019 to improve New Yorkers' health. The foundation has given grants valued at more than $1 billion so far. Its main program areas are access to care, basic needs, health care workforce, mental and behavioral health, and a general fund.
The foundation is named for Mother Frances Cabrini, the first American saint. She founded ministries to help poor immigrants in New York. In time, she established health and education ministries and orphanages around the world to aid the poor and vulnerable.