Monterey County and the tri-county region continue to have a high need for nurses and that need is expected to increase in the coming years, according to at least one state estimate. Montage Health is making an investment to increase the number of nurses through a $15 million gift to establish a new school of nursing at CSU Monterey Bay, the university announced on Monday, March 16.
The Montage Health Helen Baszucki School of Nursing is slated to support the development of two new programs: a four-year pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in nursing; and a Master of Science in Nursing.
The investment builds on the existing Helen Baszucki Center for Nursing Excellence founded in 2021, which was supported with a gift to the Montage Health Foundation from Paul Baszucki in honor of his late wife Helen, who worked as a nurse and as a clinical nursing instructor.
The CSU Board of Trustees approved the name of the new school on March 11.
"Montage Health has long been a supporter of our two-year bachelor's degree in nursing program, which has graduated more than 700 students since its inception," said CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones in a written statement. Many of the students went on to work at Montage Health and other providers in the region.
"Now with their transformational gift, we will be able to expand access to essential health care careers by establishing our pre-licensure nursing degree and a master's in nursing," she said.
Debbie Sober, chief nursing officer for Montage Health, underscored the importance of educating nurses who will be able to stay and serve in the community.
"By creating more opportunities for local students to earn their BSN and stay in the region, we are strengthening our workforce, supporting our hospitals and clinics, and ensuring that patients receive the exceptional care they deserve," Sober said.
The funds will be used to develop and launch a pre-licensure bachelor of science nursing program with an initial cohort of 40 students. They will also help more than 100 students in a pre-nursing major who are preparing to apply and enter the BSN program as upper-division students. The master's program will admit 25 students in its first cohort.
The money will also support faculty and staff hires, including tenure-track faculty, clinical lecturers, advisors, lab coordinators and more. It will also be used to renovate a simulation and skills lab and support accreditation costs for the new programs.