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ANNUAL REPORT 2004 - 2005
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A LOCAL RESPONSE TO A NATIONAL CRISIS
Registered nurses play a vital role in delivering health care services
in both inpatient and outpatient facilities as well as other community health care delivery arenas. Demographic analyses
of nurses and nursing faculty indicate that much of the country’s current nursing staff
will soon retire, exacerbating an already critical shortage. As the number of registered nurses continues to drop and the figure for new residents climbs, the strain on the health care system limits the quantity and type of services available to each of us.
MCC is always striving to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of our region. As the
only regional two-year public institution offering an RN program, we have responded
to the need for nurses by working collaboratively with nearby hospitals and other healthcare organizations to creatively address the shortage. A gift of $2.5 million from the former Hospital Foundation of Venice gave a real “shot in the arm” to our Venice program, endowing two faculty chairs, thus allowing the College to hire additional faculty. Through the generosity of many others, we have also increased the number of nursing scholarships and acquired the additional equipment necessary to train these students.