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 White Plains, NY - Against the backdrop of the nation’s nursing shortage crisis, supporters of White Plains Hospital Center’s (WPHC) unique Nurse Apprentice Program will gather Monday, September 15, 6 to 9 PM at Morton’s The Steak House in White Plains for the third annual benefit to help the Hospital develop its future ranks of nurses.
Like the past two Nurse Apprentice Program benefits, this year’s fund raiser is expected to be sold out.
Darlene Rodriguez, co-anchor of “Today in New York” — WNBC-TV, will be featured as the event’s special guest and join Hospital officials and others in congratulating the local high school and college students who have been participating in the comprehensive initiative to interest and encourage qualified young people to pursue nursing careers.
The benefit will include a cocktail reception, a strolling dinner buffet and a silent auction.
All of the proceeds will support the Nurse Apprentice Program which works at the local level to address the nursing shortage crisis. The program guides local high school and college students on a path to nursing careers through internships, scholarships and nursing career exploration programs.
Several milestones in the program are being celebrated this year including the announcement that one of the first apprentices, Jennifer Colon of the Bronx, has been hired by the Hospital as a Registered Nurse. Ms Colon, who will begin employment with the WPHC Nursing Department in September in the Pediatric Unit, recently graduated from the College of Mt. St. Vincent, one of the metropolitan area’s nursing colleges.
In addition, since the Nurse Apprentice Program was launched in 2006, there has been increasing interest and enrollments, increasing support from the community and a growing pipeline of future nurses.
At the August 15 summer Nurse Apprentice graduation ceremony—attended by White Plains Mayor Joseph M. Delfino and Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman William Ryan and other officials—certificates of completion were presented to the group of new and returning students who recently completed a seven-week intense, clinical apprenticeship.
Jon B. Schandler, WPHC President and CEO said: “Since its inception just three years ago, the Hospital’s Nurse Apprentice Program has not only demonstrated there is growing interest by qualified students to pursue nursing careers but it has proven to be a viable means to do so. At a time when the nursing shortage is getting worse, ongoing support for our Hospital’s successful Nurse Apprentice Program—especially through the annual benefit—is critical to assure that our Hospital will continue to have the best possible nursing staff in the years ahead.”
The benefit costs $125 per person and a reserve luxury booth which seats four is $750 and a reserved table for eight is $1,000. Entergy Nuclear and the Mazur Family Foundation are the major sponsors and the event sponsors are Cuddy & Feder, Morton’s The Steakhouse and Verizon Foundation. To reserve, call the Hospital’s Development Office, 914 681-1040.
White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) is a 292-bed voluntary, not-for-profit health care organization with the primary mission of offering high quality, acute health care and preventive medical care to all people who live in, work in or visit Westchester County and its surrounding areas. WPHC is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Stellaris Health Network, Inc. For additional information, visit www.wphospital.org.
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