Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Largo Medical Center part of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) West Florida Division have committed financial support to continue providing the CNHS award-winning Foreign-Educated Physician to Nursing Program (FEPN) in Floridas Tampa Bay region.
FIUs nationally acclaimed program a specialized, 5-semester BSN curriculum that transforms foreign-educated doctors into nurses was launched in Miami in 2002 as a unique solution to the nursing shortage, for which it won a Recognition of Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Labor. Since then, more than 300 FEPN graduates have joined South Floridas health care workforce. Through live videoconferencing, the program was expanded to the Tampa Bay area in January 2007, with the first students graduating in August 2008. Divina Grossman, Dean of the College, explained the importance of this new funding. “We knew we were sitting on a gold mine of opportunity with the program in Tampa. We have a diverse candidate pool to choose from. We have the technological and academic structure in place to deliver the program. We have hospitals coming to us to help fill their nursing workforce shortages. And we have a track record of success, with five years worth of graduates integrating quickly and effectively as nurses in health care facilities,” she said. “What we did not have were the financial resources to ensure the programs existence in the region, until now.” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is contributing $250,000 to cover program costs. This will help recruit additional professors and adjunct faculty to accommodate expansion of the program. “As a leading health care provider, we have long supported educational programming aimed at increasing the affordability and availability of care for all Floridians,” said Susan B. Towler, vice president, community affairs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. “This is a tremendous example of an innovative and practical solution to the nursing shortage.” David Pizzo, market president, west Florida region for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, also expressed enthusiastic support for the program. “This wonderful program is simply a win-win for everyone. It provides an innovative solution to our state’s nursing shortage by providing the most qualified candidates from around the world the unique opportunity to train and graduate as nurses. We are proud to be part of it”. HCAs Largo Medical Center is donating $11,000 per student in scholarship assistance. These long-distance students, who start the program in January 2009, will partake in interactive, live videoconferencing classroom sessions with their counterparts on FIUs Biscayne Bay Campus in Miami, Fla., and conduct their clinical instructions at the facility. Upon graduation, they will enter into multi-year work commitments with the hospital. According to Largo Medical Center Chief Nursing Officer Carol Negoshian, “We know from our past experience supporting the FEPN program that an investment in scholarship support for these experienced, motivated nursing students is money well spent. The program outcomes speak for themselves.” Evidence of these outcomes is documented in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Nursing Education. An article authored by Dean Grossman and Professor Mary Jorda documented excellent student outcomes in critical thinking, NCLEX pass rates and socialization to nursing. “The investment both organizations are making in the FEPN goes far beyond dollar figures,” explained Grossman. “They are investing in a program that is proven to immediately impact the quality and quantity of the nursing workforce, and this has long-term value for them as health care providers. Our graduates will become exceptional and essential health care professionals serving the Tampa community, and we thank Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Largo Medical Center for their support and commitment.”
Hialeah Hospital named Majid Khan, Senior Administrative Nursing Supervisor, recipient of the 2009 Vivian Hurst Award. An employee of Hialeah Hospital since 1982, Khan began his tenure at Hialeah Hospital as a staff nurse in the Intermediate Care Unit and within a few years, was transferred to the Coronary Care Unit a more challenging and demanding position. While working in the Coronary Care Unit, Khan developed the skills necessary to assume a charge nurse and team leader role.
In 1986, his excellent clinical skills and nursing leadership earned him a promotion to Administrative Supervisor on the night shift.
(l-r) Ralph Aleman, CEO of Hialeah Hospital; Award Winner Majid Khan; Lourdes Camps, CNO; Yamila Castro, HR director; and Steven Burghart, COO.
At Cleveland Clinic Florida, the next generation of physicians walks the corridors learning more than just the ins and outs of their individual medical specialties. These residents and fellows of Browards largest and only institutionally-accredited Graduate Medical Education program see the world of health care through the eyes of a model of medicine that has been praised nationally, during the ongoing health care reform debate, for efficiently delivering quality care.
According to Maggie Mahar, a health-care fellow at the Washington-based Century Foundation who was quoted in a (Cleveland) Plain Dealer article on health care reform, “Physicians who work for a single employer usually find it easier to coordinate care, repeat tests less and provide a continuum of care.” That statement speaks to the heart of Cleveland Clinics success, our unique model of medicine. Cleveland Clinic has salaried physicians working in a multi-specialty, academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. That success has led to Cleveland Clinics expansion in Florida. Staff physicians now number nearly 180, where there were only 100 in 2006. Facility expansion in Weston is ongoing, despite the economic times. And the Cleveland Clinic Florida Health and Wellness Center in West Palm Beach, which was relocated and expanded at the end of 2008, continues to see a growing number of patients. As a teaching hospital, we at Cleveland Clinic Florida are acutely aware of the role we play in influencing the next generation of physicians and the quality of health care available in South Florida. In June 2009, we graduated 34 residents and fellows, 12 of whom are remaining in the area. Five of these graduates have continued with Cleveland Clinic as either staff physicians or for additional advanced training. In addition, many Cleveland Clinic graduates now occupy key leadership positions at universities and teaching hospitals across the country, including at most of the major institutions in Florida. These doctors, no matter where they go, however, take with them an appreciation of the benefits of Cleveland Clinics model of medicine, which was founded on the philosophy that patients always come first. They witness firsthand the level of care provided to patients by a multidisciplinary, collaborative team of physicians that can set and surpass industry standards. They enjoy the advantages of electronic medical record technology and recognize the enormous benefit to patient care. Lastly, they learn that comprehensive care can be both cost-effective and of the highest quality. Cleveland Clinic Florida, with a long-standing tradition of advancing medical research and education, has grown into a nationally respected academic medical center. Thousands of applicants compete annually for a few dozen residency and fellowship positions. Many more physicians are trained in research and in our subspecialty clinical programs each year. We offer ACGME-accredited programs in cardiology, colorectal surgery, gastroenterology, geriatrics, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, and plastic surgery. Our non-ACGME accreditable programs include EMG, movement disorders, stroke, spine, orthopaedics, urology, urogynecology, uro-oncology, and vascular medicine. As we welcome each new class, we do not take lightly our responsibility in helping shape the future of medicine and health care delivery in the United States.