USD Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science receives important grant to create pipeline between the Imperial County and USD

The Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science was recently awarded a $96,000 grant to support full time students from Imperial County who are currently enrolled in the school’s Nurse Practitioner programs. The funds are from the Song-Brown Program of the

California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). 

A recent survey of the nursing school’s Imperial County alumni indicated the most significant barriers for students were financial constraints, travel expenses, housing, and balancing school, work and family.  Song-Brown funding will help alleviate academic barriers by allowing students from Imperial County, who often travel two hours each way to USD, to attend class via video conferencing when needed.  The funds will also help with travel, subsistence, and housing for students to travel to Imperial County for the completion of clinical hours in underserved training sites.

The Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science serves as an Anchor Institution, developing a pipeline of registered nurses from Imperial County to attend our Nurse Practitioner Programs to address significant health disparities and a lack of primary care providers in the region. Since 2005, 25 RN applicants from Imperial County have been recruited to the Family Nursing Practitioner program; 17 were accepted, 8 graduated (7 currently provide primary care in Imperial County), and 11 students are presently enrolled.

The Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science is a graduate-level program, focused on building a strong connection between our campus and Imperial County by training future nursing students to serve their community and make a difference in the world.

Contact: Lissette Martinez

Ph: (520) 203-3107 

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.