Independence Health System Receives $769,000 From Appalachian Regional Commission’s Power Initiative

Matching grant will support nurse residency and extern education, training at all five health system hospitals

Independence Health System has been awarded a matching grant in excess of three-quarters of a million dollars from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to further workforce development and healthcare worker retention in the Western Pennsylvania counties served by the system’s five hospitals. This $769,193 award is part of a recently announced $68.2 million package supporting 65 projects in 188 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. For its part, Independence Health System has committed $739,028 for a total of $1.5 million investment in the endeavor.

The Independence Health System project is called “Building an Innovative Nursing Workforce Model: Bridging the Gap from Student to Expert.” As outlined in the grant application, the initiative is dedicated to addressing the pressing need for nurses in Western Pennsylvania.
“With the healthcare landscape evolving, the demand for skilled nurses has never been higher,” wrote Traci Fick, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer at Independence Westmoreland Hospital, who will oversee implementation across the health system, which also includes Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick and Latrobe Hospitals. “Unfortunately, the supply of new nurses entering the field is not keeping pace with this demand, leading to significant staffing shortages. The project recognizes nurses' crucial role in healthcare, especially as they confront the challenges of an aging population with increasingly complex medical needs.”

Likewise, nurses are increasingly called upon to bridge the gap between medical care and the social determinants of health, highlighting the multidimensional nature of nursing. “In response, the project aims to recruit, train and support both students pursuing nursing careers and newly graduated nurses entering the workforce. The project will invest in the next generation of nurses helping to ensure the health and well-being of communities across the region,” said Fick.

Working alongside Fick who also is Chief Nursing Officer at Independence Frick Hospital in the rollout are the health system’s other nursing leaders: Maryann Singley, MSN, NE-BC, CNO at Latrobe, Mindy Dunkerley, MBA, BSN, RN, Butler Memorial and Leslie Walters, DNP, CRNP, FNP-BC, Clarion.

Walters knows first-hand how valuable a nurse extern program can be in recruiting and retaining staff. She was part of the development of such a program at Clarion in the late 1990s, which ended when staffing appeared stable. The program was reinstated in 2017 and expanded to Butler Memorial in 2021. Some of those original students have remained in the health system and gone on to earn advanced degrees in their area of nursing practice.

Enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand the program through the POWER grant, Walters said “We are able to support them financially by assisting with tuition, and educationally by reinforcing what they learn in school, and that helps them become more confident in their nursing practice.“

The project is expected to touch some 450 nurses participating in either the Nurse Extern Program or Nurse Residency Program. Both focus on preparing nurses for success in the healthcare industry. Collaboration is vital to the success of the initiative and will be achieved through educational partnerships with Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest), University of Pittsburgh Greensburg, Westmoreland County Community College, Community College of Allegheny County, Penn State University Fayette, Saint Vincent College, Clarion County Career Center and Seton Hill University Daniel J. Wukich School of Nursing. Support from Westmoreland Food Bank, Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Latrobe Laurel Valley Community Chamber of Commerce and Tri-County Workforce Investment Board, Inc. helps to maintain a focus on the economic impact of the project on the region.
“ARC’s POWER initiative supports coal-impacted communities' preparation for the next phase of Appalachia’s economy, while ensuring that residents have a say in the course of their own futures,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “The investments announced in this round of POWER will help train workers, advance new industries, and build upon the progress already being made toward a brighter future full of economic opportunity for our region.”
Including this most recent award package, ARC has invested more than $484.7 million in 564 projects impacting 365 coal-impacted counties since POWER was established in 2015. ARC’s investments have helped create or retain nearly 54,000jobs and prepare nearly 170,000 workers and students for new opportunities in entrepreneurship, broadband, tourism, and other growing industries.

About Independence Health System

Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and 7,300 employees, the System is the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning more than 10 counties.

The System includes tertiary programs rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery, earning accolades from a number of prestigious outlets and organizations. Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services. Learn more at www.independence.health

About the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.