FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Fort Valley State University has partnered with Phoebe Putney Health System to launch a new nursing degree program, the University announced Thursday in a board meeting.
According to a release from the University, this is part of a new educational partnership to launch a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program that aims to address the critical need for nurses in rural Georgia.
The $240,000 investment from Phoebe will support the development of the BSN degree at FVSU, the release says.
Phoebe Chief Executive Officer Scott Steiner and FVSU President Dr. Paul Jones formalized the agreement during a signing ceremony held at the university’s campus.
Under the agreement, nursing students will have access to clinical rotations at Phoebe facilities.
Both nursing students and instructors will gain training opportunities at the Phoebe Simulation and Innovation Center located at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany.
The agreement includes the development of an initiative that will provide students with support from the start of the program through graduation.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the university and support their team in this important endeavor,” Scott Steiner, Phoebe Putney Health System President and CEO, said.
The partnership is designed to attract and recruit both rural and male students into the nursing program, according to the release.
“The shared mission of FVSU and Phoebe to create healthier communities makes this collaboration an important effort,” said FVSU President Paul Jones.
Now, they are looking to hire an inaugural Program Director at FVSU. They also need to secure approvals from the Georgia Board of Nursing and the accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The approval process will take about one year.