Tenet Healthcare Foundation Awards $1M Grant To Train Latino Nurses.

Tenet Healthcare Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC), has awarded a four-year, $1 million grant to (TELACU) Education Foundation to provide financial support to current and potential Latino nursing students enrolled in local colleges.

Hospitals across the nation are facing a serious nurse shortage. Unlike past nurse shortages, which tended to be cyclical in nature, the current situation is not expected to ease anytime in the foreseeable future. California has the nation’s fewest nurses to serve its population.

The situation is worse among Latinos. Current census data indicates that Latinos make up more than 35 percent of California’s population and growing. Recent studies from American Association of Medical Colleges indicate fewer than 4 percent of the state’s health care professionals are Latinos.

“The nation’s current nursing shortage is most severe among underserved Latinos. As the state’s Latino population continues to grow, the need for Spanish-speaking and Latino health care professionals will increase tremendously,” said Gus Valdespino, senior vice president, Operations, for Tenet’s Southern California region. “We are happy to partner with a pioneering institution such as TELACU, which is a leader in providing innovating solutions to assist the community. TELACU is a good match for Tenet, which is known for redefining accessible health care delivery.”

“Tenet has done something very unique here in that this grant pays for nearly all of the needs of deserving Latino nursing students,” said David Lizarraga, president and CEO of TELACU. “Many of these students might not be able to afford college. Thanks to Tenet, they can focus on their studies and become the best nurses possible. This is a significant step in addressing the shortage of nurses in the Latino community.”

The grant is unique in that it covers nearly all expenses for the students: tuition, stipends for cost-of-living expenses, computers, books, license and exam fees and other expenses for TELACU nursing students at participating community colleges and universities.

The nursing students will have opportunities for internships at local hospitals. Other funds will be used to develop outreach videos, educational materials and conduct career fairs at local high schools.

“This work is much in line with Tenet’s mission,” said Barbara Luton, executive director of the Tenet Healthcare Foundation. “Tenet is one of the leading providers of medical services to the Latino community.”

With 30 hospitals in Southern California, Tenet is the largest private hospital operator in the area. More than 40 percent of Tenet’s patients in Southern California are Latino. Seven of its hospitals are in East Los Angeles – where nearly 90 percent of their patients are Spanish-speaking.

TELACU’s Education Foundation was established nearly 20 years ago in response to the declining graduation rates of Latino students in colleges and universities. The Foundation seeks to reverse the trend by offering scholarships, counseling, mentoring and advancement opportunities to deserving students in the community.

The Tenet Healthcare Foundation conducts philanthropic grant making on behalf of Tenet and its hospitals. Endowed by Tenet, the Foundation directs most of its grants to help unmet health care needs in the communities served by Tenet facilities. The Foundation also provides grants to various educational, social services, civic and humanities-supporting organizations nationwide.