A look at Prisma Health’s $5M plan with Clemson, USC, other SC colleges to fight nursing shortage
South Carolina’s largest healthcare organization plans to invest $5 million and partner with five colleges in the state to overcome ongoing nursing shortages.
Prisma Health will invest the money in a pilot nursing recruitment program at Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina Upstate, Greenville Technical College and Midlands Technical College, a Monday Prisma Health press release states.
Most of the nursing programs are set to launch in January. The University of South Carolina Upstate launched its program in September with 24 students.
As many as 210 nursing students statewide could benefit from the pilot program, the press release states.
“Prisma Health is committed to creating a strong, durable and successful pipeline of healthcare workers for South Carolina,” Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, said in the press release. “Our collaborative efforts to create the nursing scholars program combines academics, research, innovation and healthcare practice to address the changing needs and experiences necessary to create the healthcare workforce of the future.”
Prisma Health currently employs more than 7,300 nurses.
The program includes scholarships and increased access to clinical experiences and mentorship for students in their junior and senior years. The program will fund:
Additional advisor positions
Additional educational and student-success resources at the schools
Creating a collaborative approach that partners employers and educators
Expanding the hiring pipeline from the state’s nursing schools to Prisma Health hospitals
The program builds upon Prisma Health’s nationally recognized MedEx Academy, which helps high school and college students explore and pursue health care careers.
“Clemson is proud to participate in the Prisma Health Nursing Scholars program as we partner with Prisma and these other excellent nursing programs to positively impact health outcomes across the state of South Carolina. This new initiative will build upon our relationship with Prisma Health — one which has enabled Clemson to double its nursing undergraduate program since 2018 — and continue to enable Clemson’s top students to become health providers in our state,” Bob Jones, executive vice president and provost, Clemson University, said in a statement.
Jeannette O. Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, said in a statement that she was thankful for the new partnership.
“UofSC College of Nursing is preparing and graduating new nurses to enter the workforce who are well-prepared to meet South Carolina’s healthcare needs,” she said. “We thank Prisma Health for their commitment to provide our students with opportunities during their training and after graduation.”
