10.25.22

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $1.48 Million for Nursing Education Programs in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced a total of $1,483,510 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants for Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and Loyola University in Chicago. The HHS funding was awarded through the Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program and the Registered Nurse Training Program. 

The Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program supports partnerships between academic programs, clinicians, and the community to offer support to clinical nursing faculty and preceptors, improving the capacity of academic and clinical programs to train more nurses. The Registered Nurse Training Program works to improve health outcomes and health equity by strengthening the capacity and skills of student nurses to give high-quality and culturally-competent care to underserved communities.

“In a time of need, everyone deserves to have high-quality care from well-trained health professionals. Illinois universities and medical institutions are training the next generation of nurses to become the professionals that our communities need, especially as the pandemic has challenged our health care workforce,” said Durbin. “I’m confident that Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and Loyola University will use this HHS funding well to bolster nursing programs, which will ultimately help improve health outcomes for patients.”

“Whenever we need healthcare, we depend on Illinois’s nurses to be that kind, knowledgeable and professional presence—and it’s imperative they have access to the best training and resources so they can continue to provide care to those who need it,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud that many of our state’s future nurses will benefit from this federal support to help equip them as practitioners.”  

Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville received $888,833 in federal funding through the Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program Awards.

Loyola University of Chicago received $244,627 and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville received $350,000 in federal funding through the Nurse Training Program Awards.

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