Although partnering between independent foundations is often the only realistic way to achieve big goals, it is uncommon because of the very independence that allows each foundation to set its own course. When effective partnerships happen, they are built upon clear alignment of missions and strong personal relationships.
Mission and relationships were both on display last Thursday when the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence presented an award for Advancing Nursing Leadership to John Hartford Foundation Board Chair Norman Volk. Norm has served on the Hartford Board for more than 30 years and for the last 10 as both grants committee and board chair.
Norm’s dedication to nursing as a pathway to improving the care of older Americans can be seen in his strong commitment to the ground-breaking Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU. Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, former Co-Director of the Hartford Institute, former Dean of NYU's College of Nursing, and recently appointed dean of Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, spoke about his critical role. The Hartford Institute of Geriatric Nursing was featured in our 2006 Annual Report.
Cory Rieder, Rachael Watman, and I remarked upon Norm’s active participation in current Foundation nursing programs. He is willing to do whatever it takes to move our programs forward, whether it means attending conferences, giving presentations, facilitating partnerships, or meeting with our grantees. Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Senior Adviser for Nursing, spoke about his tireless outreach to other stakeholders in nursing. A photo set from the Hartford Foundation archives shows Norm in action in all these roles.
Norm has a clear understanding of the value of partnerships. In a video about the Jonas Center that Rachael incorporated into an April 2011 blog, he says, “You have to get like-minded people to work with you, because obviously partnerships expand the resources available not only to develop programs but also to ensure sustainability.” Thanks to Norm's relationship with Barbara and Donald Jonas, each of our nine Centers of Geriatric Nursing Excellence has the additional resource of a Jonas Center scholarship for a doctoral student working in geriatric nursing, which we understand will soon be renewed for a second cohort. This collaboration is part of the Jonas Center’s larger Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program, an ongoing effort to address the nation’s continuing shortage of nursing faculty that will support more than 250 scholars across all 50 states by 2013.
The Hartford Foundation was honored when Barbara and Donald Jonas made their initial scholarship awards and even more honored when they so sincerely recognized Norman Volk. Norm has been a tremendous leader for the Foundation and the field and we thank the Jonas family and staff of the Jonas Center for creating the occasion where we could all come together and recognize his contribution.