Indianapolis, May 8, 2018 – This morning, the Eskenazi Health Foundation announced the new St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Center for Nursing Excellence at Eskenazi Health. This center will focus on recruiting and retaining high quality nurses with an emphasis on continuing education opportunities that support nurses and enhance their discipline-specific technical skills.

“Eskenazi Health, and what we are able to offer our patients and their families have benefited enormously over the years from the generous philanthropic support and leadership of the women of St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild,” said Ernest Vargo II, CFRE, president and CEO of Eskenazi Health Foundation. “The St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Center for Nursing Excellence will be an active and visible commitment to the critical importance of education and support for the nursing practice here at Eskenazi Health and beyond.”

The new center will include a nurse residency and fellowship program to provide additional education and support to nurses as they develop clinical decision-making abilities and expertise. A robust nurse recognition program is also planned for the center, which will emphasize the importance of clinician-patient relationships, clinical knowledge and decision-making skills, as well as teamwork and collaboration. The center will include enhancements to Eskenazi Health’s state-of-the-art simulation lab, focusing on inter-professional teamwork and consistent communication regardless of the activity practiced.

“Nursing care is one of the top reasons why patients choose a health care organization, and every single day we hear the stories of how our nurses inspire our patients,” said Lee Ann Blue, MSN, RN, executive vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Eskenazi Health. “Having an entire center devoted to excellence in nursing emphasizes the importance Eskenazi Health places on nurses and the critical role they play in caring for our patients.”

Founded in 1907, the guild consists of more than 70 women whose fundraising efforts directly benefit the patients of Eskenazi Health. Last year, Eskenazi Health announced the naming of the St. Margaret’s Pharmacy at Eskenazi Health at its downtown campus. The St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Diagnostic Breast Center and St. Margaret's Hospital Guild Limestone Falls, located on The Commonground at Eskenazi Health, are also named for the organization.

St. Margaret's Hospital Guild’s largest fundraising event is the annual Decorators' Show House and Gardens. This year’s event is being held at the historic Wainwright-Cochran House at 4140 N. Illinois St. The event is open now and runs through May 13. This year and over the next two show houses to follow, all proceeds will go directly to the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Center for Nursing Excellence. For additional information on this year’s Decorators' Show House and Gardens, please visit www.showhouseindy.org.

“Many things have been made possible at Eskenazi Health solely because of the compassion and generosity of the intrepid women of St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild,” said Lisa Harris, M.D., CEO of Eskenazi Health. “There is no area of Eskenazi Health that St. Margaret’s hasn’t touched. We are extraordinarily grateful to St. Margaret’s – and those who support them – for their determination, their advocacy, their enduring friendship, and their devotion to our patients.”

Nurses at Eskenazi Health provide a comprehensive range of primary and specialty care services at more than 30 primary and mental health care sites throughout Indianapolis and within the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital.

The 1,100 nurses employed by Eskenazi Health make up the organization’s largest clinical provider group. Whether in the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, the specialty clinics, the community health centers or Midtown Community Mental Health sites, nurses are key players in ensuring high quality, cost-effective health care. 

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Eskenazi Health Foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) in 1985. The Foundation contributes leadership, guidance and philanthropic resources to Eskenazi Health and Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County (HHC). Charged with helping Eskenazi Health and HHC reach their full potential, the Foundation funds key health care initiatives and programs through its philanthropic support; educates the community about the impact of philanthropy on the life-changing work of Eskenazi Health and HHC; provides meaningful opportunities for donor engagement; and grows the strategic impact of the Foundation Board. To learn more about the Eskenazi Health Foundation, please visit www.EskenaziHealthFoundation.org.

CONTACT: Tom Surber
Phone: 317.880.4793
Cell: 317.402.9327
Pager: 317.310.5972
Email: thomas.surber@eskenazihealth.edu