The Nicholls College of Nursing will be formally named the Thibodaux Regional
Health System School of Nursing at Nicholls State University after a $10M
contribution from Thibodaux Regional Health System. The naming right commenced
with approval from the ULS Board of Supervisors and is set to continue
for 10 years.
“Thibodaux Regional’s unprecedented gift will change the trajectory
of the nursing program and transform this university,” said Dr.
Jay Clune, Nicholls President. “Nicholls is committed to providing
well-qualified nurses and healthcare professionals to our region. This
agreement will enable us to increase the number of nurses providing care
here in Thibodaux and the region beyond. I want to express my personal
gratitude to CEO Greg Stock and the Board of Thibodaux Regional Health
System for this unprecedented commitment to Nicholls nursing and the university.”
With this most recent financial support from Thibodaux Regional, the university
will be able to provide equipment needed to ensure state-of-the-art training
for students, hire new faculty members to support program expansion, support
the retention of current program faculty and assist in professional development
of nursing faculty. This generous contribution will allow Nicholls nursing
program to increase nursing candidates in its undergraduate program to
meet the need for nurses in the region.
“Nicholls is a very important part of south Louisiana and produces
excellent nurses. Thibodaux Regional is excited to support this educational
opportunity at Nicholls and accelerate the number of nursing students
during a time of shortage,” said Greg Stock, CEO of Thibodaux Regional
Health System. “Dr. Westbrook is an outstanding leader of Nicholls
and we have worked effectively with her for many years. Now, we are taking
our relationship with Nicholls to higher levels by providing funding for
more instructors and equipment and technology for training.”
“This generous donation from Thibodaux Regional will transform nursing
education at Nicholls for years to come. It will also contribute to increasing
the quality of health care delivery for our community and the region we
serve by producing more highly qualified nurses,” said Nicholls
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sue Westbrook.
Thibodaux Regional has been a valued partner of Nicholls and the nursing
program for many years, providing clinical space for students to gain
experience through all phases of their nursing education, as well as providing
opportunities for employment after graduation. In 2014, Thibodaux Regional
partnered with Nicholls to provide high quality sports medicine and athletic
training services to student-athletes. Most recently, the health system
and university expanded and elevated their relationship by providing Nicholls’
beach volleyball, soccer, tennis and track and field programs access to
Thibodaux Regional’s state-of-the-art sports complex, and is the
premier healthcare partner and official hospital and sports medicine provider
of Nicholls athletics.
The mission of Thibodaux Regional Health System School of Nursing at Nicholls
State University is to prepare students to contribute to a global society
and diverse workforce as well-educated nurses to meet the healthcare needs
of the coastal region and beyond. This is accomplished by continuous improvement
in teaching, research and service in a student-centered, culturally-rich
and spirited learning environment that fosters faculty, staff and student
engagement.
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