Pictured, from left, are K21 President and CEO Rich Haddad, Grace College President Dr. Bill Katip, Grace College Nursing Program Coordinator Kathy Oliver and Grace College nursing student Maria Garcia.

WINONA LAKE — The K21 Health Foundation has approved a grant of $150,000 to Grace College for the purchase of equipment for Grace’s new bachelor of science in nursing program in partnership with Bethel College. The funds will be used to purchase cutting-edge simulation mannequins and other equipment to provide enhanced training for future nurse professionals.

“We are grateful for the generous support of K21,” said Dr. Bill Katip, president of Grace College. “Once again, K21 has stepped up to enhance health education in our community. With better training comes better care for patients in our county and beyond.”

Grace College, through their partnership with Bethel College, is the only provider of a baccalaureate nursing program in Kosciusko County. K21 Health Foundation is dedicated to improving health and wellness of Kosciusko County citizens. K21’s President and CEO Rich Haddad believes that supporting nursing education “at home” will lead to better health care and more well-trained nurses to decrease the current local nursing shortage.

“K21 is pleased to help Grace College expand its nursing program,” said Haddad. “We are proud to partner with Grace to offer students the best training possible and ultimately graduate more, well-equipped nurses who will provide excellent care in and around Kosciusko County.”

Since 2004, Grace College has partnered with the School of Nursing at Bethel College to provide an associate degree in nursing. In that inaugural year, K21 provided a grant which allowed the college to purchase its first simulation mannequin and other training equipment. Last year, the BSN program was accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Forty-one students are currently enrolled in the program.

The grant will coincide with developments the college has already made through the Aspire Campaign, a comprehensive campaign that includes new classrooms and labs to expand the BSN program’s capacity to 72 students.

The $150,000 grant from K21 will provide for the purchase of equipment to outfit two simulation labs, a monitoring room and a debriefing room for the nursing program. The most significant purchase will be for new simulation mannequins. The mannequins will display neurological and physiological symptoms, injecting greater realism into scenario-based training.

“The advanced technology made possible by K21 is necessary for the next generation of scenario-based learning,” said Kathy Oliver, nursing program coordinator at Grace. “The new mannequins will present students with a wide range of virtual symptoms, including cardiac and respiratory obstruction or failure, as well as IV placement. This training will significantly enhance our program.”

Grace College is currently accepting applications for the 2018 – 2019 school year. For more information about the nursing program, or to apply, visit www.grace.edu or call (866) 974-7223.