Press Releases: Southern California
November 19, 2009
Southern California Nursing Students are Awarded $256,500 in Scholarships from Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente Dedicates $5 Million to Nursing Education in 2009
PASADENA, Calif. — Nursing students from 46 Southern California colleges received a financial boost today to help meet expenses and complete their education when Kaiser Permanente awarded 145 scholarships totaling $256,500. Kaiser Permanente’s Deloras Jones RN Scholarship program has awarded more than $4 million to 1,942 students statewide since it was established in 2001.
As one of the largest employers of nurses in California, Kaiser Permanente’s annual support to build California’s nursing workforce will again exceed $5 million for Nursing Pathways, career ladder programs, nursing scholarships, grants to colleges, and forgivable loans. “Kaiser Permanente is committed to assisting nursing students as they pursue their baccalaureate degrees,” said Deloras Jones, RN, MS. “RNs are health professionals prepared to provide safe, high-quality direct patient care, and their commitment and dedication will be a major force in propelling this country into a new era of health care.”
Scholarships of $1,000 to $2,500 are based primarily on financial need to assist individuals who are pursuing nursing degrees, and are awarded in the following categories: Academic Excellence for graduate students (minimum 3.8 GPA required for this category only); Academic Excellence for undergraduate students (minimum 3.8 GPA required for this category only); Graduate/Doctoral Studies (registered nurses pursuing an MSN, DNSc or PhD with a minimum 3.0 GPA required); Underrepresented Groups in Nursing (minority and male students); and Nursing as a Second Career. Additionally, a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to a student in each nursing program affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
Deloras Jones retired as Kaiser Permanente’s Director of Divisional Nursing Services for California in 2000 after a 34-year career dedicated to professional nursing and leadership. Jones is the founding and current Director of the California Institute for Nursing and Health Care in California (CINHC), a statewide institute focusing on “Optimizing the Health of Californians Through Nursing Excellence.”
The Southern California Participating Colleges (by area) are:
Inland Empire: California State University-San Bernardino; Chaffey College (Rancho Cucamonga); Copper Mountain College (Joshua Tree); Loma Linda University; Mount San Jacinto College-Menifee Valley; Riverside Community College; San Bernardino Valley College; and Victor Valley Community College.
Kern County: California State University-Bakersfield; and Bakersfield College.
Los Angeles County: American University of Health Science (Long Beach); Azusa Pacific University; Biola University (La Mirada); California State University-Dominguez Hills; California State University-Long Beach; California State University-Los Angeles; Cerritos College (Norwalk); El Camino College- Torrance; Glendale Community College; Los Angeles City College; Los Angeles Harbor College; Los Angeles Southwest College; Mount San Antonio College (Walnut); Mount St. Mary’s College; Rio Hondo College (Whittier); Santa Monica College; and UCLA.
Orange County: California State University-Fullerton; Concordia University (Irvine); Golden West College; Saddleback College; Santa Ana College; and University of California-Irvine.
San Diego County: California State University-San Marcos; Grossmont College; Imperial Valley College; National University (La Jolla); Palomar College (San Marcos); Point Loma Nazarene University; San Diego City College; Southwestern College (Chula Vista); and University of San Diego.
San Fernando Valley and Lancaster: Antelope Valley College; Los Angeles Valley College.
Ventura County: Moorpark College; and Ventura College.
(Editor’s Note: To make arrangements to interview students and schools in your area, contact Marie Lemelle, 626-405-5384).
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 3.3 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.
