IRSC/Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Named National Finalist for 2019 AACC Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Award
IRSC/Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Named National Finalist for 2019 AACC Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Award
April 30, 2019 Robert Lane
Indian River State College was named a national finalist for the 2019 American Association for Community Colleges (AACC) Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Award for its partnership with Cleveland Clinic Martin Health.
IRSC and Cleveland Clinic Martin Health were selected as the American Association of Community Colleges Outstanding (AACC) College/Corporate Partnership 2019 Finalist. Shown here during a presentation ceremony at Tradition Medical Center in Port St. Lucie are (left to right) Ann Hubbard, IRSC Dean of Health Science, Debbie Perez, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Assistant VP of HR, Susan Clark Cleveland Clinic Martin Health Chief Nursing Officer, and, Patricia Gagliano, IRSC Assistant Dean of Nursing.
Recognizing the need to expand its hospital workforce, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and IRSC collaborated to expand nursing enrollment. Financial support from Cleveland Clinic Martin Health enabled IRSC to add four, full-time nursing faculty and create a $130,000 lab. This resulted in 80 additional students admitted to the IRSC Nursing Program.
To promote student success, an Advanced Learning for Student Nurse Program was created to align curriculum at IRSC with Cleveland Clinic Martin Health’s employment needs. Students enrolled in the program were also hired as nurse technicians with Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and provided $20,000 in scholarships. Of the 80 new students, 97% graduated from IRSC and passed the National Council of Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on the first attempt. Upon successful completion of the program, 100% of the graduates were guaranteed employment with Cleveland Clinic Martin Health for two years.
The average annual wage for a registered nurse in the region is $44,512. With 80 new nurses, the area revenue generated equals $3.5 million annually, narrowing the wage and skills gap.
