On Aug. 18, Oakland University (OU) announced that they are partnering with Beaumont Health Spectrum Health (BHSH) System to create the BHSH Beaumont Health Nurse Scholar program.

The $20 million investment, funded by BHSH, will allow for 500 additional students over the course of five years to attend OU’s School of Nursing and is intended to help meet the staffing needs of Beaumont hospitals in southeast Michigan, as the state and country are undergoing a nursing shortage.

“This magnanimous gift directly responds to the need for more highly skilled nurses and the workforce shortage that has become more critical since the beginning of the COVID-19 global pandemic,” Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz said. “We are proud that BHSH System and OU have a shared commitment to improve the quality and delivery of patient care in Michigan.”

Half of the funds will go towards student grants, and the other $10 million will go towards expanding lab and classroom space and other infrastructure investments to meet the needs of more students as well as remain in compliance with national accreditation standards and state regulations.

After students graduate from the scholarship program, they will be placed on a path to become BHSH System team members for at least two years after graduation.

“Students have so many choices and options about where they can work after graduation. I’m convinced that after these OU students spend some time working with us, they will want to spend their career serving our patients. BHSH Beaumont Health President Dr. Benjamin Schwartz said. “We have an incredible team.”

Additional planning for the initiation of the BHSH Beaumont Health Nurse Scholar program is expected to take place over the course of the next 12 months.