Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representative Neil Abercrombie today said the creation of a new federally funded academic partnership will enable the University of Hawaii to expand its nursing program by graduating more nursing students and hiring more faculty to help improve nurse recruitment and retention by the Veterans Administration.

“This partnership is uniquely rooted in Hawaii—with President Obama and his Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki leading the transformation of the VA into a 21st century organization with new support from the faculty and students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene,” said Abercrombie, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.

The partnership involves the VA’s Nursing Academy, University of Hawaii at Manoa’s School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, and the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VA-PIHCS) which is comprised of the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center on the grounds of Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii and several community-based outpatient clinics throughout the state, Guam, and American Samoa.

“Ultimately, this program will help the VA to improve the delivery and quality of care to veterans, particularly in our rural and geographically isolated Pacific region,” Abercrombie added.

The creation of the UH partnership will:

• Admit an additional 40 baccalaureate nursing students over the three years of the program;
• Expand educational opportunities for UH nursing students through new clinical experience at inpatient and outpatient settings at the VA-PIHCS, participation in telehealth, and the creation of a VA-based student summer internship program;
• Expand faculty and professional development at the VA-PIHCS by hiring five faculty for the first year and an additional five for the second and third years of the program and implementing a Virtual Learning Community;
• Increase the pool of Registered Nurse applicants for VA-PIHCS positions and support retention of its nurses.

The Virtual Learning Community will be created to provide a portal to the education and professional development of nurses in the program, including nurses in remote areas such as Guam and Samoa.

“By working with VA medical centers through this partnership, UH Manoa demonstrates its crucial role as a leader in nursing education and research in Hawaii and the Pacific and its overall importance as a world-renowned knowledge base and economic engine. Furthermore, the VA Nursing Academy enables Hawaii nursing students to remain close to home while furthering their education to help those who have served and sacrificed for our nation,” Abercrombie said.

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