Trillium Grant Aids Bushnell’s Training of New Nurses

Award of $500,000 will address nursing workforce shortage in Lane County

EUGENE, Ore. – As a part of its ongoing mission to improve the health and well-being of all residents of Lane County, Trillium Community Health Plan (Trillium) has awarded a $500,000 grant to Bushnell University’s School of Nursing, one of the anchor academic programs within its College of Health Professions. The grant funds Bushnell’s efforts to meet the nursing workforce shortage in Lane County and will utilize Trillium’s community SHARE resources to support Bushnell’s efforts to recruit and train student nurses through the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) degree for clinical practice.

The aim of the SHARE Initiative, a joint effort of the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the state’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), is to address health inequities across local communities. Investing SHARE resources in Bushnell University’s nursing education program demonstrates Trillium’s commitment to mitigating ongoing healthcare workforce challenges, including the nursing shortage in our region, according to Jeanne Savage MD, Trillium’s Chief Medical Officer.

“Trillium is dedicated to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for all Oregonians,” said Dr. Savage. “We’re proud to partner with Bushnell to recruit and train a nursing workforce that will be highly skilled in delivering culturally competent care, addressing the social determinants of health, and treating patients in community and integrated behavioral health settings.”

Dr. Reed Mueller, Vice President for Academic Affairs, adds that “grant proceeds will support Bushnell’s existing efforts to meet the state-wide nursing shortage more quickly and effectively while also addressing systemic inequities in healthcare.”

This generous funding from Trillium, along with additional contributions from individual donors, family foundations, and local businesses, brings the fundraising efforts of Bushnell’s Health Professions Initiative to a total of just over $5 million since the accelerated program began in January 2022. Together with the donation of over 11,000 square feet of education space in the Center for Medical Education and Research (CMER) at PeaceHealth’s Sacred Heart Medical Center University District (UD) campus, these funds provide the University much needed resources to hire high quality faculty members, recruit and retain new nursing students, and to support their success by providing scholarships and academic support services.

Bushnell’s nursing graduates are already making a difference in Oregon, with 62 percent of them choosing to stay in Lane County and over 90 percent practicing in-state.