The Department of Health and Human Services is set to grant the SF State nursing program $330,364 in order to fund a new program called Diversifying Leadership in Nursing.

The program is designed to correct health care disparities by recognizing exceptionally qualified, underrepresented students from the Master of Science in Nursing program and support them through a string of academic and clinical experiences. The main goal is to prepare and enable the student to go on and get a PhD in nursing.

“The purpose is to increase the number of nurses at the highest level,” said Hilary K. Pritchard, program coordinator at the Marian Wright Edelman Institute at SF State. “Specifically, nurses that represent communities that have health care disparities.”

The Diversifying Leadership in Nursing program was originally named U-56 and was funded by the National Institutes of Health through the National Cancer Institute. The initial focus was cancer, but with the new grant there is a new name and a new focus. The students are not limited to one specific health issue anymore. They now have a choice between many; such as, heart disease, birth defects and diabetes.

“We are building bridges between minority and premier institutions,” Pritchard said. “We want to set the research agenda nationally.”

Before the change of agenda only two students per year were admitted into the program. They have since upped the number to four students. Two students have already graduated from the course and six more follow in their footsteps.

Chiedu Ozoh, a graduate of the program, said that the clinical research opportunities provided by the grant will be applied toward his future doctoral work.

“After completing my doctoral education, my future plans are to return to Nigeria and establish a nonprofit foundation to provide sustainable agriculture, education and health care for underserved rural populations," Ozoh said.

The new grant will allow the program to run for another five years with the goal of 20 new graduates. With the help of professors Grace Hardie and Skip Davis, Pritchard said she feels they will have much success.

Charlotte Ferretti, RN, EdD, director of Marian Wright Edelman Institute at SF State, describes the program as amazing.

“What a fabulous opportunity this is for students,” Ferretti said. “It’s life transforming.”