News
Sen. Carper Visits Beebe Medical Center, Announces $476,000 Funding
04/14/09
Beebe Medical Center Tuesday welcomed U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) when he arrived to discuss the $476,000 that Beebe Medical Center will receive from the federal omnibus funding bill. The money will be earmarked for the expansion of the Beebe School of Nursing, the only hospital-based, diploma' nursing school in Delaware, and one of the few in the nation.
Sen. Carper was representing the Delaware delegation that includes U.S. Senator Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) and U.S. Representative Mike Castle (R-Del.).
I liked going to Beebe School of Nursing because of the hands-on experience I was able to get in the hospital, Kim Moore, RN, a nurse in the Emergency Department, told Sen. Carper. It also made the transition from school into the hospital much easier.
Ms. Moore, a graduate of the school, and George Austin, RN, another graduate and nurse in the Emergency Department, shared their experiences with the senator. Mr. Austin said that he not only worked as a tech at the hospital while attending the school, but also took part in a summer extern program in which students nurses spend time observing and helping nurses at Beebe Medical Center. Ms. Moore graduated in 2005 and Mr. Austin graduated in 2007.
Did many of your classmates stay in Sussex County? asked the senator, well aware of the nationwide nursing shortage. While the two nurses said many of their classmates now work at Beebe, Jeffrey M. Fried, President and CEO of Beebe Medical Center, said that in 2001, 65% of students stayed in the county; and as many as 40% of the graduates, on average, obtained positions at Beebe Medical Center.
Beebe School of Nursing, established in 1921, moved into its present location adjacent to the hospital in the 1960s. The building has become too small and antiquated to meet the demands of the growing school. Beebe Medical Center officials are considering several options on how to expand the school. Through the efforts of Delaware's Washington D.C. delegation, which also included former U.S. Senator and now Vice President Joe Biden, the federal government has earmarked about $1.2 million to expand the school. The state of Delaware has earmarked about $500,000 and the Beebe Medical Foundation has raised about $400,000 through philanthropic donations. An expansion project could cost about $5 million.
Sen. Carper visited Beebe Medical Center's new Emergency Department and said he was impressed that the department already has implemented an electronic medical record system, and that Beebe Medical Center is in the second year of a five-year program to implement it system-wide.
Caption: Sen. Tom Carper speaks to Beebe Medical Center Emergency Department nurses George Austin, RN, and Kim Moore, RN.
Beebe Medical Center is a not-for-profit community medical center with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health with the people residing, working, or visiting in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit us online at www.beebemed.org
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