The University of Pennsylvania's nursing school in Philadelphia is launching a tuition-free program to recruit, train and deploy nurse practitioners to provide primary care in underserved communities.
The Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program is made possible by a $125 million donation by Leonard A. Lauder, chair emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies and University of Pennsylvania alumnus. The donation is the largest gift made to an American nursing school, the university said in a Feb. 14 news release.
Five things to know about the program:
1. The program will cover tuition and fees of Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner fellows. To be selected as a fellow, the individual must already be a full-time admitted student in select nursing school primary care programs.
2. Fellows will complete at least half of their clinical education at community partner sites and/or comparable healthcare sites. Fellows must commit to practice or service in an underserved community for two years post-graduation.
3. Ten fellows will begin classes in fall 2022, and the university said it expects to see an annual target enrollment of 40 fellows by 2026.
4. While all fellows will have their tuition and fees covered, fellows with greater financial need will also receive stipends to help cover living expenses.
5. An endowed Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner professor will be responsible for curriculum innovation, support of community sites and program implementation.
To learn more about the program, click here.