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Indiana University Health and Indiana University Health Foundation today announced a transformational gift from Bloomington philanthropists Connie and Steve Ferguson to expand nursing education at ��ɫ��Ƶ Bloomington and help address Indiana’s nursing shortage through a scalable training model. 

“We are proud to support IU Health and ��ɫ��Ƶ’s partnership in strengthening Indiana’s nursing workforce,” said Connie and Steve Ferguson. “We were motivated by the idea that Indiana can train more nurses by building on the strong foundation that’s already in place. By expanding evening and weekend classes, and clinical training capacity, this approach increases the nursing pipeline statewide and helps more students from the region become caregivers in our communities.”

Combined with a $10 million investment from IU Health, the gift establishes two new endowed funds to support expanded nursing education and professional advancement.

• Connie & Steve Ferguson Nursing Expansion Endowment – Supports the Lee J. Marchant School of Nursing at ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Bloomington campus, including support for the college’s only evening nursing cohort and growing capacity in nursing programs. The endowment also supports faculty salaries and professional development, facility and equipment upgrades, and expanded clinical training throughout southern Indiana.
• South Region Nursing Scholarship Endowment – Provides support to the lU Health Nursing Scholar Program in the South Region, providing financial assistance to nursing students who commit to post-graduation employment with lU Health, and investing in continuing education and credentialing of existing nurses at lU Health South Region.

This initiative builds on an innovative nursing education model underway at ��ɫ��Ƶ Bloomington through its partnership with IU Health. Evening and weekend clinical programs have shown that training can extend beyond traditional daytime hours, allowing more students to enroll and complete their clinical training while maximizing existing resources. This investment will increase the number of nurses who can be trained and expand clinical opportunities across the IU Health South Region.

Indiana faces a shortage of approximately 4,300 nurses statewide, according to the Indiana Hospital Association. Addressing this gap is critical to ensuring safe, timely, high-quality care for patients and sustaining a resilient healthcare workforce.

��ɫ��Ƶ is the nation’s leading educator of associate-level nurses and plays a vital role in preparing Indiana’s nursing workforce. Approximately 90% of its graduates remain in Indiana to live and work, further strengthening the state’s workforce pipeline. 

“Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, and this commitment will help ensure a skilled workforce is here to care for our southern Indiana communities and visitors for generations to come,” said Denzil Ross, president of IU Health’s South Region. “By expanding capacity and increasing training opportunities for students, this commitment is aimed at improving educational pathways for nursing professionals and enabling more effective care for Hoosiers.”

In 2022, IU Health awarded ��ɫ��Ƶ an $8.75 million grant to grow nursing programs and increase statewide enrollment, which included funding for the expansion of the Marchant School of Nursing in Bloomington. The expansion added a new skills lab and classroom, nearly doubled training beds, and introduced advanced technology to give students hands-on experience.

“This investment fundamentally expands what is possible for our students and our region,” said Erik Coyne, chancellor of ��ɫ��Ƶ Bloomington. “Through our partnership with IU Health and the vision of Connie and Steve Ferguson, ��ɫ��Ƶ Bloomington is well-positioned to help address one of Indiana’s most pressing workforce challenges.”