Ivy Tech Community College receives gift from the Union Health Foundation

Ivy Tech Community College is receiving its largest gift in the history of the school from Union Health Foundation. The foundation, founded in 1985 to provide funding for multiple aspects of the healthcare industry, including education, patient care, equipment for healthcare facilities, and more, has gifted $1 million to Ivy Tech to support its associate nursing degrees. 

According to Union Health Foundation’s Facebook page, Union Health “currently employs more than 600 Ivy Tech graduates and has served as a clinical site for their students for over 50 years.” 

Joel Harbaugh, Union Health Foundation's Executive Director, said almost $4 million has been invested by the foundation in healthcare workforce education since the foundation’s founding. Speaking to the importance of schools like Ivy Tech and Union Health Foundation’s decision to present the school with such a large gift, Harbaugh said, “Scholarships for undergraduate and post graduate degrees, advanced training, certifications and continuing medical education all play a role to ensure our caregivers have the tools necessary to deliver quality care. This is an investment in our community, to help develop the workforce necessary to care for the Wabash Valley.”

The President and CEO for Union Health Foundation, Steve Holman, added, “We want to continue to provide the best possible care to the people in this region. Employing the best healthcare professionals is how we achieve that. Ivy Tech Terre Haute produces some of the best healthcare and nursing graduates in the Wabash Valley, and they do it with top-rated two-year programs. This gift will enable more healthcare students to enter and complete the program, which allows us to maintain a strong workforce.” 

According to their website, more than 1,500 nurses “launch their careers from Ivy Tech each year.” The school will use the gift to expand its School of Nursing’s enrollment capacity by allowing for the hiring of faculty in the nursing program, which should increase the program’s enrollment capacity in Terre Haute by at least 20 students a year.

Part of the $1 million gift will go toward creating 10 merit-based scholarships of $3,000 for students entering their second semester.

The community has been a substantial support to Ivy Tech Terre Haute, said Chancellor Lea Anne Crooks, adding, “Ivy Tech was created to support Indiana’s workforce needs. 85% of our graduates stay in West Central Indiana. By partnering with Union Health, we can produce more graduates who are highly skilled healthcare professionals ready for high-demand careers. This multifaceted gift from Union Health will create a lasting impact on our economy for generations to come.”

The Tribune-Star held an interview with Faith Petrowski, one of the many Ivy Tech alumni working at Union Health Hospital. Like many others, Petrowski was inspired toward a medical career path due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had so many people who were needing our help and so many unknowns at the time. So it really encouraged me to get out in the field as soon as I could and Ivy Tech really helped me,” Petrowski said.

Petrowski spoke highly of her time at Ivy Tech, saying, “The staff in my department have been really great at showing me the ropes. They’re really good at introducing me to a bunch of different cases and different patients to help me broaden my scope or practice. I’ve only been in there for a couple of weeks now, but I already feel so much more confident in my practices.”

Ivy Tech Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.