Florida State University is set to advance nursing education and health care innovation in Northwest Florida with the support of a $10 million gift from The Fairholme Foundation.
This landmark philanthropic gift - the largest-ever to the College of Nursing - will help FSU expand nursing innovation and its undergraduate nursing program to the university's Panama City campus with the goal of elevating the quality of health care in Northwest Florida, while addressing a critical nursing shortage in the region.
"We are so grateful for this gift from Bruce and Tracey Berkowitz and the Fairholme Foundation," said FSU President Richard McCullough. "This transformative gift represents an extraordinary commitment to the future of health care in Panama City and Northwest Florida. By supporting the education and innovation of the next generation of nurses, this investment will strengthen our local communities, improve access to care, and ensure that residents receive the highest quality of health services for years to come."
The gift will directly address health care workforce challenges in the Panama City area by creating undergraduate scholarship opportunities for nursing students from Bay, Walton, and Gulf counties in Florida, who are interested in working in these counties upon graduation. Additionally, this level of philanthropic investment will fund cutting-edge technologies and faculty research that looks to advance health care for aging populations in Northwest Florida.
"This transformative gift represents an extraordinary commitment to the future of health care in Panama City and Northwest Florida. By supporting the education and innovation of the next generation of nurses, this investment will strengthen our local communities, improve access to care, and ensure that residents receive the highest quality of health services for years to come."
- FSU President Richard McCullough
With Florida expected to face a shortage of 60,000 nurses by 2035, expanding FSU's nursing program to Panama City aims to reduce the shortage, specifically in Northwest Florida. Nearly 53% of new registered nurses work within 40 miles of their high school, while 76.8% of bachelor's-prepared nurses practice in the same state as their high school, according to a recent study by the RN Work Project.
"At the FSU College of Nursing, we are boldly rising to lead the future of health care - from pioneering digital health and smart home innovations to expanding access to high-quality nursing education across Florida," said Jing Wang, dean of the FSU College of Nursing. "This historic gift empowers us to bring that vision to Northwest Florida, preparing exceptional nurses while advancing innovative care models that will shape the health of our communities for generations to come. With the Berkowitz family's extraordinary generosity, we can provide the care needed today while positioning Florida State as a national and global leader in transforming health care through nursing."
Bruce Berkowitz is the founder and chief investment officer of Fairholme Capital Management, and president and a director of Fairholme Funds, Inc. Bruce and his wife, Tracey, co-chair The Fairholme Foundation, an organization recognized for its philanthropic gifts to projects in the areas of arts, sciences, medicine, entrepreneurship, and education.
In addition to the Berkowitz gift, FSU plans to invest its own resources to renovate space, secure equipment, and hire faculty and staff for the nursing program to establish a presence in Panama City.
The program will be operated in cooperation with FSU Panama City, a comprehensive regional campus of Florida State University that makes pursuing a degree from a preeminent institution more accessible to students in Northwest Florida.
"This extraordinary gift is a true investment in the future of Panama City," said Randy Hanna, dean of FSU Panama City. "It opens doors for our students, empowering them to pursue nursing careers right here at home and equipping them with the skills and support to serve and strengthen health care in our community."
Northwest Florida is experiencing incredible momentum in health care from the creation of the FSU Health medical campus in Panama City Beach to this transformative investment in nursing education, said Jorge Gonzalez, president and CEO of The St. Joe Company and member of the FSU Board of Trustees.
"This gift builds on that progress by ensuring that talented students from our region can train, stay and serve right here at home, expanding access to care and strengthening the health of our communities for generations to come," he said.
The college recently announced a pioneering Smart Health Home Initiative, headquartered at Latitude Margaritaville Watersound, which focuses on researching innovative technologies to establish a home-based ecosystem designed to enhance the well-being and independence of active adults.
Earlier this year, FSU announced plans to build an acute care hospital in Panama City Beach under the FSU Health name. The project is the next phase in FSU's longstanding commitment to improving health care in North Florida.
The Florida State University College of Nursing is Boldly Rising in education, research and practice, pioneering digital health and artificial intelligence in new care models, increasing enrollment to address the critical nursing shortage and attracting more than $100 million in new federal funding for innovative healthcare research.
