When Henry County Hospital saw a labor shortage on the horizon that threatened to affect the quality of care in its community, its leaders began an effort to encourage more students to study nursing. They knew, however, that they would need a partner in higher education in order to help them succeed. They immediately sought a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College.

According to Blake Dye, President of the Henry County Hospital Foundation, Ivy Tech's affordable tuition and the availability of classes close to home were key factors in their choice.

"We wanted to take care of our own destiny to help ensure that qualified, compassionate nurses would be available to care for our patients in the years to come," Dye states. "We also thought we

needed to have a nursing program available locally to meet the needs of students who couldn't attend other Indiana programs either due to finances or because they were married and needed to continue to live in New Castle."

Henry County Hospital and Ivy Tech, along with the Danielson Learning Center Advisory Group, developed a two-year RN program in New Castle. Students in the program take general education courses at IU East Danielson Center and science classes at New Castle Chrysler High School. Most of the clinical rotations take place at Henry County Hospital.

Not only has Henry County Hospital helped start this new program, but its Foundation helps support Ivy Tech by giving nearly $400,000 toward scholarships, faculty positions, equipment and office and clinical training space.

Dye says the hospital's investment in Ivy Tech offers a tremendous rate of return. "Ivy Tech provides the compassionate, skilled and well-trained staff we need in order to continue to provide outstanding care to our patients. We would not have made such a significant investment in the RN program in New Castle if we did not think highly of Ivy Tech and value its services to our community."

One of Henry County Hospital's contributions is a gala that supports nursing scholarships and the Ivy Tech RN program in New Castle. Proceeds from the 2004-07 galas have funded 41 nursing scholarships worth a total of $61,000. And to show how committed they are to supporting the College, Henry County Hospital employees held silent auctions at the gala that raised $48,000 above and beyond the proceeds from ticket sales.

Dye acknowledges that Ivy Tech is certainly worthy of such support. "The RN program has played a significant role in reducing our nursing vacancies so that we are not experiencing the problems many hospitals are having in filling these positions," he explains. "For example, except for posting job opportunities on our hospital web site, we rarely advertise for nursing positions which was not true a number of years ago."

One student who represents the many successes of the RN program is Mike Biehl, who currently works at Henry County Hospital. Biehl was laid off over three years ago and found himself looking for a new career. An EMT with 14 years' experience, he applied and was accepted as one of only 10 students in the charter RN program. "Ivy Tech is right here, so that made it especially nice for someone with a family. And they were so flexible," Biehl says. "I know other students they have helped in a number of ways and I'm sure they appreciate Ivy Tech's flexibility as much as I did."

That flexibility is helping more students get the education they need so that Henry County residents can get the care they need for generations to come. And that makes partnerships like this one just what the doctor ordered.